U.S. Representative Byron Donalds appeared on Meet the Press with Kristen Welker on April 13 to discuss recent developments regarding the Cuban and Iranian governments.
Donalds said, “I believe there needs to be full-scale regime change in Cuba.” He continued, “[Díaz-Canel] is a dictator who wants to have the same deal as the Castro brothers. He wants to be able to rule Cuba with an iron fist and die in office.”
Addressing conditions in Cuba, Donalds said, “What the American people need to understand is that Cuba, for 67 years, has been a Communist dictatorship. They have suppressed the free speech of the Cuban people. The Cuban people today are rationing food. Their economy is flat on their back.”
Responding to statements by Díaz-Canel about improvements in Cuba not requiring changes, Donalds said, “For what Díaz-Canel was saying, that there don’t have to be any changes for Cuban to be better, is a lie. If you examine the history of governments around the world, free and open societies like America, that is where people actually thrive, succeed, and excel.”
Donalds added further criticism: “I think it’s important for everybody to listen to his words. He would rather continue to suppress the people of Cuba, to the point where they have to ration food, to the point where political opposition is jail, where there is no free press, no ability to communicate, and he believes that’s worth dying for? I think that says all that needs to be said.”
Turning attention toward Iran’s government and its actions near international waters crucial for global trade routes such as oil shipments through Hormuz Strait—an area long fraught with tension—Donalds said: “The Iranians have always used the Strait of Hormuz as economic terrorism against the West to protect their Theocratic regime. We started with Cuba; now we’re on Iran. What is consistency here? You have dictatorships that threaten their people. That suppress speech. That jail political prisoners. Obviously in Iran we know they have no respect for human rights; women’s rights; or for rights of people who dissent.”
Discussing U.S policy toward Iran under current leadership he concluded: “The President is doing what’s necessary to accomplish main objectives which remain to make sure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon and to significantly degrade their ballistic missiles capabilities.”
