"A lot of hot air": Former NSA John Bolton on Trump's remarks on possible action beyond Venezuela

In an interview with ANI, Bolton said that while Trump has spoken broadly about several countries, "The different situations he mentioned really are distinct from one another." In this context, he stressed that Cuba should be the primary focus.

"Cuba is the most important to focus on because the post-Castro government is worried that if the Maduro regime falls, its regime might be next," he said.

Bolton said such fears within Cuba were justified, pointing to the close political and strategic relationship between Havana and Caracas. "I think they're right to be afraid. These two countries depend on one another," he said, directly linking Cuba's concerns to developments in Venezuela.

Connecting the issue to Washington's broader policy approach, Bolton said, "I think Secretary of State Marco Rubio, being a Cuban American himself, has led the effort to overthrow the Maduro regime."

He added that developments in Venezuela are closely tied to expectations of political change in Cuba. "He certainly hopes that the post-Castro regime in Cuba will fall as well," Bolton said.

Bolton's remarks come amid heightened tensions following a US military operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife in Caracas, after which President Trump publicly floated the possibility of US action against other countries.

In this context, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on January 4, Trump alleged that Colombia was being "run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States," adding, "He's not going to be doing it for very long," and claiming the country had "cocaine mills and cocaine factories." When asked whether the US could carry out an operation targeting Colombia, Trump replied, "It sounds good to me."

Trump also extended his comments to Mexico and Iran. Referring to Mexico, he said drugs were "pouring" across the border and added, "we're going to have to do something," describing the cartels as "very strong." On Iran, he warned, "If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they're going to get hit very hard by the United States."

Addressing Cuba, a close ally of Venezuela, Trump suggested that military action was unnecessary, saying the country was "ready to fall." "I don't think we need any action," he said. "It looks like it's going down." He added, "I don't know if they're going to hold out, but Cuba now has no income," attributing this to reliance on "the Venezuelan oil."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also criticised the Cuban government, saying, "The Cuban government is a huge problem," and adding, "They are in a lot of trouble, yes." He accused Cuban leaders of "propping up" Maduro's government and supporting its internal security apparatus.

Trump further reiterated his desire to take control of Greenland, citing security concerns. "We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security," he said, describing the region as "covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place."

The remarks prompted strong reactions from Denmark and Greenland, with leaders rejecting the comments and saying the United States had "no right to annex" the territory. (ANI)