The so called "crazy Cubans." From left to right, Marco Rubio, Mario Díaz-Balart, Carlos Giménez, and María Elvira Salazar. Photo: Razones de Cuba/file photo.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Cuban-born Republican US Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar subtly called for the Donald Trump administration to bomb Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, mirroring recent US actions against Iran.
On Sunday, June 23, the former television host and Florida representative wrote on X: “That is how you treat tyrants, not just in Iran, but in Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua too.” She added: “Peace through strength. That is the American way.”
Salazar, who describes herself as an ally of far-right Venezuelan politician María Corina Machado, asserted that governments she opposes must be bombed, stating: “Dictators and rogue regimes only understand one thing: strength.” She continued: “You do not appease evil, you confront it. You do not negotiate with evil, you annihilate it.”
Venezuelan far-right opposition politician, María Corina Machado, last week, made a number of statements directly aimed at giving the US empire reasons to take military action against Venezuela: “Venezuela is a real threat to the hemisphere and the US,” she said. “It is the only country in the hemisphere, other than the US, capable of building Iranian-made combat drones.”
An excerpt from an interview with Miami-based journalist Napoleón Bravo, on June 19, published by @ConVzlaComando—the official X account of the so-called “comanditos” organized by Machado and the Vente Venezuela movement—reads in part: “For the West to be saved, the first step is to understand that the greatest risk is working here in Venezuela, and it cannot be contained within our borders.” Machado details that by “the greatest risk,” she was referring to the government of President Nicolás Maduro.
Salazar defended US and Israeli military aggression toward Iran, arguing: “When regimes like Iran seek nuclear weapons, the United States must act. We cannot allow our enemies to acquire the power to destroy us.”
This stance contradicts US intelligence assessments. The head of the US intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, stated weeks earlier there was no evidence Iran was close to obtaining nuclear weapons, a position corroborated by the UN Atomic Energy Chief Inspector.
Salazar belongs to a group of Cuban-American lawmakers dubbed “the crazy Cubans” by US media, alongside Sens. Marco Rubio and Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart and Carlos Giménez. She is known for anti-communist rhetoric targeting Latin American governments not submisive to US dictates.
Venezuela’s defense minister
On Sunday, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino urged the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB) to monitor US and Israeli attacks against Iran, warning of potential consequences for Venezuela.
Padrino noted that escalating tensions—particularly around the Strait of Hormuz—could position Venezuela as a crucial energy supplier to Western markets: “We must be aware that if the oil issue explodes, we will be at the forefront of oil supply in this western region.”
He characterized West Asia conflicts as “imperialist war,” adding: “Right now, the war is not religious; it is because there is a Zionist state that wants to take over the Middle East, with the United States behind it.”
Iran Warns of NPT Withdrawal, Strait of Hormuz Closure After US Attack
Trump worried about oil prices
On Monday, President Donald Trump warned on Truth Social: “Everyone, keep oil prices low! I am watching you!” He threatened noncompliance would aid enemies, concluding: “Do not do it!”
In a follow-up post addressing the US Department of Energy, Trump ordered: “Drill, boys, drill! And I mean now!”
Energy Secretary Chris Wright responded: “We are already on it! Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, America’s energy security is stronger than ever.”
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SH
