US Claim of Abandoning Regime Change is a "Tactical Retreat," Says Dr Wasantha Bandara

Nov 5, 2025 at 09:42 AM

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Lanka Leader

The General Secretary of Patriotic National Movement Dr Wasantha Bandara has dismissed a U.S. intelligence official’s claim that Washington has moved away from policies of foreign regime change, arguing it represents a forced "tactical retreat" in the face of growing anti-imperialist resistance.

The comments from Dr. Wasantha Bandara, General Secretary of the Patriotic National Movement, follow remarks by U.S. intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard at the 21st Manama Dialogue in Bahrain. Speaking at the security forum, Gabbard stated that the era of U.S.-driven regime change, as seen in Iraq and Libya, ended under the Trump administration, which she said prioritized diplomacy over intervention.

Dr. Bandara, however, contends that this shift is not a change of heart but a strategic pivot compelled by failed operations and strengthened international opposition.

"Venezuela is the most important territory for them in the Latin American region," Dr. Bandara stated, pointing to the country as a key example. "They took many bloody measures such as color revolutions and civil conflicts to break Venezuela. All of them were defeated."

He credited the survival of President Nicolás Maduro's government to its skillful defeat of hybrid warfare tactics and its success in building a robust network of international alliances. According to Dr. Bandara, Russia’s direct commitment to Venezuelan security and China’s economic resilience in its trade war with the U.S. were pivotal factors that altered the strategic calculus.

"The fact that China inflicted a huge defeat on the United States in the trade war... strengthened Russia's position on Venezuela," he argued.

Dr. Bandara also cited a statement by Chinese expert Victor Gao, who last September declared that China would not permit a second shot to be fired in a conflict, as a "strong statement that will shock the imperialists." This, combined with opposition from regional powers like Brazil and the steadfastness of Cuba, has, in his view, boxed in American ambitions.

Dr. Bandara concluded by invoking a well-known adage: "Being an enemy of America is dangerous. Being a friend is deadly." He suggested that Venezuela's defiance has, paradoxically, been its salvation.

"The fact that Venezuela has decided to become an enemy of the United States guarantees its survival and development," Dr. Bandara asserted, adding that the responsibility to defend Venezuela's Bolivarian Revolution now rests with the "anti-imperialist peoples of the world."

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