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The Head of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, Mike Hammer, met this week with the Commander of U.S. Southern Command, Navy Admiral Alvin Holsey, at SOUTHCOM headquarters in Miami, Florida.
The conversation, held in the city of Doral in Miami-Dade County, focused on issues related to Cuba as well as national security matters in the Western Hemisphere, specified a statement from the diplomatic mission in X.
During the meeting, Hammer and the leaders of SOUTHCOM discussed the current dynamics in Cuba and evaluated the United States' strategic partnerships in the region.
In particular, the efforts to promote democracy, human rights, and economic prosperity in Latin America and the Caribbean were addressed, with an emphasis on the well-being of the Cuban people, the note specifies.
The meeting with Southern Command, an entity that views Cuba as "a corrosive element in Latin America," takes place shortly after Mike Hammer's arrival at the U.S. Embassy in Havana, where he assumed his role as the new Chief of Mission in November.
Hammer replaced diplomat Benjamin G. Ziff, who completed his mission on the island at the end of October.
With a distinguished career spanning over 35 years in the diplomatic service, Hammer arrived in Havana after serving as Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa.
The Embassy emphasized that Hammer's arrival strengthens the United States' commitment to the promotion of human rights in Cuba and the improvement of bilateral relations, especially in key areas such as security and economic prosperity.
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