The United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, addressed the troops deployed at the Guantanamo Naval Base this Wednesday and stated that the Cuban guards protecting Nicolás Maduro in Caracas "were no match" for the operators, Rangers, and U.S. special forces during the operation that captured the Venezuelan dictator in January 2026.
The speech was shared by the Department of Defense on social media platform X and features Hegseth, wearing a t-shirt from the Marine Officer Program, speaking outdoors in front of approximately 80 to 100 Army and Marine personnel after working out with them.
"The Russian air defenses and the Cuban guards... The Cuban guards. They were no match for our operators, our Rangers, and all those who carry out extraordinary missions," Hegseth stated in front of the troops.
During that operation, at least 32 Cuban military personnel and bodyguards were killed, among them Colonel Humberto Alfonso Roca, identified as part of the security apparatus of the Cuban regime assigned to Maduro.
Hegseth also highlighted the Medal of Honor awarded to pilot CW5 Eric Slover, who kept his men safe by landing the aircraft under gunfire during the operation. "What that pilot did to keep his men safe while landing the aircraft and managing to get them back securely is something worthy of the history books," he stated. Trump awarded Slover on February 25, 2026.
In the same speech, Hegseth proclaimed the so-called “Donroe Doctrine”—a contraction of “Donald” and “Monroe”—as Trump's corollary to the historic Monroe Doctrine of 1823 and the Roosevelt Corollary of 1904. “The Monroe Doctrine is not just alive; not only is the Roosevelt Corollary still relevant, but now we have the Donroe Doctrine,” he declared.
He cited the Panama Canal and Venezuela as examples of that doctrine, and emphasized that "the territory and strategic spaces of our hemisphere are key areas" for Washington.
The visit comes at a time of heightened tension between Washington and Havana. The U.S. deployed over 1,300 Marines in the Caribbean under Operation Southern Spear and sent the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier to the region on May 29. Days earlier, Axios reported that Cuba had acquired more than 300 military drones from Russia and Iran since 2023, with plans to use them against the Guantanamo base itself, military vessels, and targets in Florida.
Last Sunday, Díaz-Canel stated that Washington is considering three possible scenarios regarding Cuba and warned that any military action could lead to a "bloodbath."
Hegseth closed his message to the troops with a direct warning to the Cuban regime: "What happens to the future of Cuba is in the hands of the President of the United States and the leadership of Cuba. Whatever happens, the Department of War will be prepared and positioned for any possible contingency."
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