Miami Mayor Francis Suarez suggested «not to rule out the option» of air strikes on Cuba-amid calls from conservatives for US intervention in what is happening in the protest-ridden country.
Speaking on Fox News, the Republican compared the current situation in Cuba and past actions taken by the United States to overthrow foreign regimes, including the bombing campaign conducted by the US military in Kosovo in 1999.
In response to a question from host Martha McCallum about whether he offers the same approach in Cuba, Suarez said: «I’m just saying that this is an option that needs to be explored, and it can’t just be discounted.»
He added that there are «many ways» for the military to intervene in the situation in Cuba, and that air strikes are one of «a number of options that can be discussed.»
Since then, Suarez has denied explicitly calling for the bombing of Cuba, but repeated his call for military intervention in one form or another, telling Newsweek:
«I never suggested bombing Cuba. I’m talking about the fact that for the first time in decades we see the Cuban people on the streets demanding freedom.»
«We have a moral duty to support them. And this means that the United States needs to intervene. For us, this is a matter of national security. I don’t understand what is so controversial about exploring such a possibility.»
In light of the protests, thousands of Cuban-Americans in cities such as Miami took to the streets in solidarity with the residents of the country.
In a statement on Monday, July 12, President Joe Biden said that the United States «will support the Cuban people» in their «call for freedom» from «the tragic clutches of the pandemic, as well as from decades of repression and economic suffering that [Cubans] have been subjected to because of the authoritarian regime.»
