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The Cuban-American congresswoman María Elvira Salazar issued a strong warning to the Cuban regime on her X account this Monday, during a time of heightened tension between Washington and Havana in recent years.
"If the Cuban regime thinks that the Trump Administration is playing around, they should think again," wrote Salazar, who represents Florida in the U.S. Congress.
The legislator was direct: "They are not in a position to challenge President Trump. Their murderous regime is at the center of a clear strategy: a safe, prosperous hemisphere free of communism."
Salazar also delivered a personal message to those who support the dictatorship from within: "To the repressors and accomplices of the regime: when the Castro leadership runs off, there will be no seat for you on that plane."
The warning comes at a critical moment: as revealed by USA Today on Monday, the Trump administration delivered a secret ultimatum to the regime during a meeting held on April 10 in Havana —the — demanding the release of high-profile political prisoners within two weeks.
The deadline expires approximately on April 24, and as of this Monday, no releases had been reported in response.
Among the prisoners whose freedom is demanded by Washington are Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, leader of the San Isidro Movement, sentenced to five years and held in Guanajay, and Maykel Osorbo, co-author of the dissident anthem "Patria y Vida," sentenced to nine years and imprisoned in Pinar del Río.
Both were excluded from the pardon for 2,010 inmates that the regime announced on April 2 as a humanitarian gesture for Holy Week, which left out those imprisoned for "crimes against authority," a category that encompasses most dissidents.
The military background further intensifies the situation. The Pentagon has discreetly accelerated the planning of military options against Cuba, and an MQ-4C Triton drone conducted surveillance missions off the southern coast of the island this past Tuesday.
When asked about a possible military action, Trump responded ambiguously: "It depends on what your definition of military action is."
Díaz-Canel himself acknowledged last Wednesday that a U.S. military attack is now a real possibility, while the regime declared 2026 as the "Year of Preparation for Defense."
Salazar had already previewed this tone last Thursday in a hearing in Congress, where he compared Díaz-Canel to Maduro and stated that the communist regime in Cuba is on life support and "Trump just needs to pull the plug."
This Monday, a spokesperson for the Department of State reaffirmed Washington's position: "The Trump administration remains committed to the release of all political prisoners, including Alcántara and Osorbo."
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