The United States Department of Defense released a video summarizing the intense day of Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday: his visit to the Guantanamo Naval Base and his subsequent stop at the Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters in Tampa, Florida, with a central message aimed at the world: “We are reclaiming our hemisphere.”
The audiovisual material, published by the official DeptofWar account on X, combines images of Hegseth alongside troops in Guantanamo and at CENTCOM with his most powerful words to the soldiers.
The tweet accompanying the video describes the military as "the definition of deterrence."
In the footage recorded in Guantánamo, Hegseth invoked the historical figure of Theodore Roosevelt to frame the U.S. military presence in the region as a continuation of bravery and determination.
"We are here thanks to the actions of brave Americans. Less than 40 miles from this location, Theodore Roosevelt led the Rough Riders in the Battle of San Juan Hill. He received the Medal of Honor and helped secure this strategic ground. I am sure he would be proud to be here today watching this group of brave Americans," the secretary declared before the troops.
From the perspective of the Department of Defense, he stated, the current National Defense Strategy has a clear objective: "We are reclaiming our hemisphere," referring to the so-called "Donroe Doctrine" -a contraction of "Don" (Donald Trump) and "Monroe"- that Hegseth formally presented in Miami in March 2026 as the third principle of U.S. foreign policy in the hemisphere.
The second part of the video covers his visit to CENTCOM in Tampa, where Hegseth praised the work of the troops and civilian personnel: "You have been leading the way, defining what American power looks like, and leading by example."
The secretary concluded his message with a direct reference to CENTCOM's most critical mission: "That mission is to ensure that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon. Everyone present understands why this is so critically important. Therefore, from the bottom of my heart, to both the military and the civilian personnel serving here: thank you for everything you do."
The video condenses the two main themes of Wednesday's event. In Guantánamo, Hegseth warned that it would be "reckless" for Cuba to acquire weaponry capable of reaching the base or the continental U.S. territory, as "they would be inviting a confrontation that they not only do not desire but also could not endure."
From CENTCOM in Tampa, the most direct warning was issued to the Cuban regime: "Do not engage in that game where you are threatening Americans or American territory, because that will not end well for you."
The visit comes at a time of heightened tension between Washington and Havana, marked by reports of Cuba acquiring more than 300 military drones from Russia and Iran since 2023, the deployment of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier in the Caribbean, and Operation Southern Spear with over 1,300 marines in the region.
The Cuban regime responded through its permanent representative to the UN, Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, describing Hegseth's statements as "completely mistaken."
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