The U.S. Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, joined soldiers deployed at the Guantanamo Naval Base on Wednesday for a morning physical training session, during a visit rich in strategic symbolism amid rising tensions between Washington and Havana.
The official DOW Rapid Response account distributed images of the training on X, where Hegseth and a group of Navy and Marine Corps soldiers can be seen wearing sports attire - black shorts and t-shirts with the inscription NAVY - walking and running in formation along a gravel path next to a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire.
The flags of the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps of the United States led the column, and at least one of the participants carried a weighted tactical backpack.
At the end of the video, the high-ranking military officer is seen doing leg exercises and lifting weights.
Before the training, Hegseth addressed the troops with a speech that was markedly strategic in tone, leaving little doubt about the purpose of the visit.
"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 Department of War will be prepared and positioned for any possible eventuality," he stated before the soldiers.
The secretary also emphasized the historical and personal significance the base holds for him: "It is an honor to be here in Guantanamo Bay. I was here 20 years ago, serving as a soldier as part of the detention mission. Then, as now, this has been a very important and strategic U.S. territory."
Hegseth served at Guantanamo from 2004 to 2005 as a platoon lieutenant in the infantry, guarding detainees, before subsequently deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan.
In his message to the troops, the secretary also issued a warning to the world: "We want the world to understand that American might, whether 9,000 miles away or just 90 miles from our shores, is the greatest in the world and is ready to go on the offensive or defensive at any moment to defend our interests."
Hegseth plans to move to Tampa, Florida, to meet with personnel from Central Command, in what the Department of Defense described as a tour aimed at ensuring that the base is "as strong as possible" and that the troops have "everything they need to carry out their mission."
The visit occurs in the context of the largest military escalation between the two countries in recent years. In May, leaks to U.S. media revealed that Southern Command had developed military contingency plans for Cuba, including airstrikes and a potential land invasion.
Meanwhile, the U.S. deployed more than 1,300 marines in the Caribbean under Operation Southern Spear, alongside the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and specialized surveillance aircraft.
The Cuban regime has also intensified its rhetoric. Díaz-Canel warned that any military action from Washington could lead to a "bloodbath," while intelligence reports indicate that Cuba has acquired over 300 military drones from Russia and Iran since 2023.
This is Hegseth's second visit to Guantanamo as secretary: the first was in February 2025, focused on the migrant detention facilities.
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