U.S. General Meets Cuban Officers at Guantanamo Bay to Discuss Operational Security

The U.S. military confirmed today a Reuters report that the top U.S. general overseeing troops in Latin America held a rare meeting with high-ranking Cuban military officials today in the area surrounding the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. U.S. Southern Command stated on the social platform X that General Francis Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, briefly discussed operational security matters with a Cuban delegation, which included General Roberto Legra Sotolongo, First Deputy Chief of the Cuban General Staff. Southern Command said, "Donovan also led an assessment of security around the naval base and discussed force protection, the safety of service members and their families, and operational readiness with base officials." Donovan's visit to Cuba is the first in recent memory by a commander of U.S. Southern Command and comes at a time of growing concern in Cuba that the U.S. might launch a military attack on the communist island nation. The Cuban Armed Forces stated on Facebook that the meeting was held with the consent of both parties and that they agreed to maintain communication. Prior to this meeting, CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a rare visit to Havana in early May. President Trump has frequently listed Cuba as one of the foreign policy goals for his second term, hinting that once the war with Iran ends, Cuba will become his focus. Since Fidel Castro's revolution in 1959, Cuba has been at odds with the U.S. for decades. Trump enjoys strong support from hardline Cuban-Americans in Florida, who have pushed for U.S.-led regime change for decades, and the Trump administration has continued to increase pressure on Cuba. On May 20, the U.S. formally accused former Cuban President Raul Castro of four counts of murder, alleging his involvement in the 1996 shootdown of a civilian plane piloted by Miami exiles, the latest example of the Trump administration's attempt to project U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere. Washington has shown a more aggressive stance in Latin America, most notably with the U.S. military's bold raid on January 3 to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, subsequently transporting him to New York to face drug trafficking charges.