A direct statement, without nuances and in the midst of the United States Congress, once again positioned Cuba at the heart of Washington's security narrative.
During a hearing before the House of Representatives titled “Military Officials Testify on Western Hemisphere & Budget”, Congressman John McGuire posed a critical question: what threat does Cuba pose to the United States today? The response from Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Joseph Humire, was unequivocal.
"Cuba has historically been one of the strongest intelligence adversaries we have had in the United States," the official stated before lawmakers.
Humire did not limit himself to a general assessment. He asserted that Havana has managed to infiltrate not only U.S. institutions but also allied governments in Latin America and the Caribbean, which, in his opinion, demonstrates the extent of its intelligence capabilities.
The most sensitive remark came when referring to Venezuela. The official stated that during the so-called Operation Absolute Resolve, “it was primarily Cuban military personnel who were defending Nicolás Maduro inside Fuerte Tiuna in Caracas,” reinforcing the idea of a direct influence from Cuba in the region's power structures.
The statements come in a context where Washington has been hardening its approach toward the island, framing the bilateral relationship within a logic of national security and strategic confrontation. Experts note that in recent years, the U.S. Congress has consolidated a narrative that positions Cuba as a significant actor in terms of intelligence and geopolitics in the hemisphere.
Humire's intervention, who holds a key position in the Pentagon focused on the western hemisphere, not only reinforces that vision but also sets the tone for future legislative discussions, especially regarding the defense budget and policies towards Latin America.
At the end of the hearing, Congressman McGuire emphasized Congress's support for the military authorities and left the door open for new measures: he called for specific recommendations to "keep the homeland and American citizens safe, both domestically and abroad."
For many Cubans, both on the island and abroad, these statements do not go unnoticed. They once again place Cuba in the landscape of tensions between Washington and the region, with implications that have historically ended up directly impacting the daily lives of millions of families.
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