The United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, declared this Wednesday to the troops deployed at the Guantanamo Naval Base that Washington hopes to establish a friendship with the leadership of the Cuban regime, although he accompanied that message with direct military warnings.
Hegseth delivered the speech after physically training alongside marines, soldiers, and sailors in outdoor exercises, marking his second visit to the base as secretary and the first with a strategic focus on Cuba.
"We are not looking for enemies. We are not looking for adversaries. We are a great friend. And we hope that soon we can also be friends with the leadership of the government of Cuba. For now, we will see what happens," declared Hegseth before the assembled troops at the venue.
The opening message, however, was accompanied by an explicit warning to the regime of Miguel Díaz-Canel: "It would be unwise for the Cuban government to try to acquire or gain access to types of weaponry capable of reaching this base or the mainland of the United States. They would be inviting a confrontation that not only do they not desire but also couldn’t endure."
Hegseth also left the decision about his future in the regime's hands: "That government has decisions to make about what kind of reforms it wants to promote. It is not my job to make that decision for them."
The secretary emphasized the enduring strategic value of Guantánamo: "And then there's Cuba, where we find ourselves today. Where the United States of America has been for more than 100 years. And where we will continue to be, because it is a key strategic ground."
Hegseth, who arrived at the base in the early hours of the morning and trained alongside the troops before addressing them, also proclaimed to the military the so-called "Donroe Doctrine" —a contraction of Donald Trump and Monroe—, formally presented in March 2026, which establishes that the Western Hemisphere is "key terrain" for Washington.
The visit comes at the peak of the largest military escalation between the two countries in decades. On May 29, the U.S. deployed over 1,300 marines in the Caribbean under Operation Southern Spear and sent the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz to the region.
According to a report by Axios on May 17, Cuba has allegedly acquired more than 300 military drones from Russia and Iran since 2023, with plans discussed to use them against Guantanamo, military ships, and Key West, which prompted a Pentagon investigation into the threat of Cuban drones.
On June 7, Díaz-Canel stated that Washington is managing three scenarios for Cuba: social upheaval due to economic suffocation, coercive dialogue to take over the economy, or direct military aggression.
Hegseth was clear about the role of the War Department in this context: "What happens with the future of Cuba is in the hands of the President of the United States and the leadership of Cuba. Whatever happens, the War Department will be prepared and positioned for any possible contingency."
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