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The Cuban-American Republican congresswoman María Elvira Salazar reacted strongly this Tuesday to the testimony of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth before Congress, in which he confirmed that the Cuban regime poses a clear and present threat to the national security of the United States.
"The truth is finally being revealed. Today, we heard it directly from the Secretary of War: Cuba is a clear and present threat to the United States," Salazar wrote on her X account.
The congresswoman for Florida's FL-27 district emphasized that the regime is not just an uncomfortable neighbor: “It is a strategic base for China and Russia and a haven for terrorist organizations, all located just 90 miles from our shores.”
Salazar added that Cuban Americans in South Florida have been warning about this danger for decades: "My constituents and I are all too familiar with this reality; we see the danger while others look away."
The testimony that prompted his reaction took place during a hearing of the House of Representatives Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, focused on the military budget for 2027 and the war with Iran.
The congressman Mario Díaz-Balart used his turn to question Hegseth about Cuba point by point, and the secretary confirmed each allegation: that the island harbors terrorists and fugitives from U.S. justice ("Yes. I agree"); that the Russian navy, including the nuclear submarine Kazán, uses Cuban ports ("That is true, congressman"); and that the Russian signals intelligence complex in Lourdes is "very problematic."
Regarding the espionage operations against the United States documented during the Obama, Biden, and Trump administrations, Hegseth was equally straightforward: "That all sounds very accurate, sir."
In response to Díaz-Balart's final and direct question — "Do you believe the Cuban regime poses a threat to the national security of the United States?" — the secretary's answer was just one word: "Yes."
Díaz-Balart posted the exchange on social media and noted that "previous administrations have overlooked the threat, but the Trump administration is taking it seriously."
This Tuesday, Congressman Carlos Giménez criticized Republican senators who oppose strong actions against Cuba, accusing them of "never having shown much willingness to stand by the Cuban people."
Hegseth's testimony comes in the context of increasing pressure from the Trump administration on Havana.
On January 29, Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency due to the "unusual and extraordinary" threat posed by the regime, and on May 7, Marco Rubio announced specific sanctions against GAESA, the military conglomerate that controls between 40% and 70% of the Cuban economy.
Salazar concluded his message with a clear warning: "Cuba can no longer be the threat it poses to our shores and our security."
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