Marco Rubio starred in a highly symbolic image on Tuesday by posing for a photograph with the commander of the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), General Francis L. Donovan, alongside a prominent Reference Map of Cuba during the 2026 Heads of Mission Conference held in Doral, Florida.
SOUTHCOM itself shared the images on its official account, showing Rubio shaking hands with General Donovan in front of a map of Cuba, American flags, and military plaques, with the slogan "Peace through Strength!" displayed on screen during his opening speech.
Rubio participated in his dual capacity as Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, a concentration of power that, according to the dossier, had previously only been held by Henry Kissinger. The conference, which runs from May 5 to 7, brings together high-ranking officials from the U.S. government, heads of diplomatic missions from U.S. embassies across Latin America and the Caribbean, and leaders from the Department of War.
SOUTHCOM described the purpose of the meeting as "advancing the objectives of the National Security Strategy in the hemisphere, including collaborative efforts to combat narco-terrorism and prevent adversaries from gaining a foothold in the region."
Among the participants is Mike Hammer, the U.S. mission chief in Cuba, who stated in February to Telemundo that “there will be a change in 2026” and that “the dictatorship will come to an end,” adding that “the Cuban revolution has failed.”
The appearance of the map of Cuba in the background of the meeting is not a coincidence. Just days earlier, Trump signed a new executive order that expands sanctions against the regime in the energy, defense, mining, and financial services sectors.
Trump himself stated on May 1 that the U.S. would "take Cuba almost immediately" after concluding operations in Iran, and reiterated the threat on Monday in an interview with Salem News Channel, describing the island as "devastated at this moment, completely devastated" and asserting that "it would be an honor to liberate it."
Rubio, for his part, stated in April to Fox News that he hopes "Cuba will fall soon" and that "you cannot fix its economy without changing your system of government."
General Donovan acknowledged before Congress in March that SOUTHCOM has contingency plans for a potential mass exodus from Cuba, including the establishment of camps at the Guantanamo Naval Base, although he formally ruled out any invasion plans.
Meanwhile, the regime responds with a rhetoric of resistance. Díaz-Canel warned on May 3rd to delegates from 36 countries about "the imminence of a military aggression" from the United States and invoked the doctrine of the "People's War," declaring that "every Cuban has a rifle" and an assigned defensive position.
The pressure accumulated since January 2026—over 240 sanctions and at least seven tankers intercepted—has reduced Cuban energy imports by 80% to 90%, leading to blackouts of up to 25 hours a day in more than 55% of the territory.
Rubio will travel to the Vatican on May seventh to meet with Pope Leo XIV with Cuba on the agenda, in what will be another chapter of the maximum pressure strategy that Washington maintains over Havana.
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