Former national security adviser John Bolton said in an interview that "overthrowing Nicolás Maduro is the only answer" for Venezuela's future and "for the security of the Western Hemisphere."
Bolton's remarks, made during an appearance on Focal Length in NewsX World, come as he faces legal jeopardy. Last week, he pleaded not guilty to an 18-count federal indictment alleging he illegally shared classified information with family members and stored "Secret" and "Top Secret" documents at his Bethesda, Maryland, residence after leaving the White House.
I continue to believe that for the security of the western hemisphere and for the people of Venezuela, overthrowing the Maduro regime is the only path forward.https://t.co/CUeWTn98ge
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) October 28, 2025
Bolton, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush and later as national security adviser in Trump's first term, was a key advocate of Washington's 2019 decision to recognize Juan Guaidó as Venezuela's legitimate leader in detriment of Maduro. "It was a very clear policy of Trump in the first term to overthrow the Maduro dictatorship and reinstitute constitutional government in Venezuela under Juan Guaidó," he said.
That effort "obviously failed," he added, citing what he characterized as Maduro's theft of both the 2018 and 2025 elections.
During the interview, Bolton argued that Venezuela's crisis has moved beyond domestic collapse and now poses direct regional danger. "Unless we get to that point, Venezuelans will suffer and the Hemisphere will be in danger of war infiltration by Russia, by China, even by Iran," he said. He warned that the Maduro government provides an opening for foreign powers to deepen military and intelligence activity in the region.
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Despite Trump's earlier support for Venezuela's opposition, Bolton raised doubts about current policy, describing recent actions as superficial. "From the objective evidence we see," he said, "it looks to me more like grandstanding for news headlines... interesting, but not necessarily indicative of a real strategy to help the opposition overthrow the Maduro regime."
He attributed this pattern to what he called Trump's short-term approach to diplomacy, arguing that symbolic moves may again "get in the way of what he says his real objectives are." Bolton remains firm on Venezuela. "Overthrowing Maduro is the only answer," he said, describing it as essential both for Venezuelans and for U.S. strategic interests in the hemisphere.
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