Senator Lindsey Graham issued a warning to Cuba’s communist leadership on Sunday, stating that their “life is not over” following the deaths of 32 personnel from the island’s military and intelligence services during a daring U.S. raid aimed at capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
“We’re just going to wait and see what happens with Cuba. It’s a communist dictatorship that has killed priests and nuns, and they’re exploiting their own citizens. Their time is running out,” Graham (R-South Carolina) remarked to reporters aboard Air Force One while heading back to Washington with Trump.
President Trump echoed these sentiments, saying, “Cuba seems on the verge of collapse. I’m not sure how much longer they can hold out,” but added, “Cuba will survive because of Venezuela.”
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, attended a federal court session in Manhattan for the first time on Monday after being extradited to the U.S. to face charges related to narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation, and illegal weapon possession.
While there were no casualties among U.S. military personnel during the early morning operation, reports suggest that over 20 members of Maduro’s security detail were captured.
A statement from the official residence of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel condemned the operation as a “criminal attack by the U.S. government,” referring to the deceased as “victims of a new act of invasion and state terrorism.”
In contrast, Graham asserted that Maduro’s arrest showcased “America at its best.” He suggested that Maduro had underestimated the resolve of the U.S. administration, noting that President Trump has made it clear he won’t tolerate his actions.
Historically, Graham has advocated for military intervention in Venezuela to address the activities of Cuban forces. “If Cuba were to leave, Maduro would follow. But we have stood up to Cuban involvement in the past,” he stated in a 2019 interview. He further opined, “We’re not occupying Venezuela, but it’s in our national security interest to address the situation there, similar to what President Reagan did in Grenada,” referring to the U.S. invasion of Grenada in October 1983 after a pro-communist coup led to the execution of the prime minister.
This eight-day operation ultimately led to the ousting of the Grenada People’s Revolutionary Government and the expulsion of Cuban and Soviet troops.
