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El general Francis L. Donovan, comandante del Comando Sur de Estados Unidos (SOUTHCOM), se reunió este viernes con el general de cuerpo de ejército Roberto Legrá Sotolongo, Viceministro Primero y Jefe del Estado Mayor General de las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias (FAR) de Cuba, junto a otros altos mandos militares cubanos, en el perímetro de la Guantanamo Naval Base.
The meeting was described by SOUTHCOM in an official statement as "a brief exchange on operational security matters," as reported by the command on its verified social media.
In addition to the meeting with the Cuban military, Donovan conducted a comprehensive assessment of the perimeter security posture of the naval base, personally inspecting all its aspects.
During the visit, the general discussed with facility officials issues related to force protection, operational readiness, and measures to ensure the safety of military personnel and their families.
SOUTHCOM described the Guantanamo Naval Base as "a vital operational and logistical center that supports U.S. military efforts to counter threats undermining security, stability, and democracy in the hemisphere."
The direct contact between the commander of SOUTHCOM and the second-in-command of the Cuban Armed Forces in the Guantanamo perimeter is a recent and unprecedented event of significant geopolitical importance, as formal meetings between high-ranking officials from both countries are extremely rare.
Legrá Sotolongo is one of the most powerful military figures in the Cuban regime. Born in Baracoa, Guantanamo Province, in 1955, he has a long career in the FAR that includes missions in Angola.
He was confirmed as Chief of the General Staff by the Communist Party of Cuba in April 2022 and, in December 2025, he was promoted to the Political Bureau of the PCC, solidifying his position as one of the most influential figures in the nomenclature.
The meeting comes at a time of heightened tension between Washington and Havana.
On May 21, Donovan met with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon during a time of heightened tensions with Cuba, and on May 5, he appeared alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the 2026 Conference of Chiefs of Mission held in Doral, Florida.
In March 2026, Donovan testified before Congress that SOUTHCOM could set up a camp at the Guantanamo Naval Base in the event of a mass migration from Cuba.
The Guantanamo Naval Base is the only territory that the United States maintains in Cuba, leased since 1903 after the Spanish-American War, and its future has been the subject of active debate in the context of the possible contingency scenarios considered by the Trump administration.
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