A legislative advisor from Florida this week called for dialogue between Cuba and Estados Unidos, while warning that the Cuban regime should not underestimate the military threats from Washington, amid a surge in hemispheric tensions driven by the Trump administration.
Miguel Granda, advisor to Florida state representative David Borrero, stated to the Daily Signal that both countries would benefit from dialogue instead of confrontation.
"The wisest path for Cuba is greater cooperation with the U.S. and a genuine move towards democratic governance and economic openness," he stated.
Granda, who is running for the Florida House of Representatives to represent District 117 on November 3, 2026, emphasized that Washington's preference is not pressure, but partnership: "America's military strength speaks for itself, but our preference is to lead with partnership, not pressure."
However, he warned that if Havana does not choose that path, the statements made by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth regarding the use of military force "should not be taken lightly."
Hegseth has been the most direct voice of the Trump administration regarding Cuba policy.
This week he stated that "countries like Cuba are warned" and that Washington "will not allow that kind of malignant influence" in the hemisphere.
In a speech delivered in recent days, he also stated: "We will defend our hemisphere from external threats to national sovereignty, whether from narco-terrorism or malicious foreign actors."
The Secretary of War had already issued similar warnings in June when he visited the Guantanamo Naval Base and cautioned Cuba against acquiring weaponry capable of reaching the base or the continental United States, also invoking a so-called "Donroe Doctrine" as a corollary to the historic Monroe Doctrine.
The Republican senator from Florida Juan Carlos Porras, who represents District 111, predominantly Cuban-American, was more emphatic: "This administration has made it clear that all options are on the table, and the Castro regime should count its final days."
Porras also celebrated the decision of the Dominican Republic to expel nine Cuban diplomats, with a deadline of August 16.
"I applaud the Dominican government for defending freedom in the hemisphere. The United States and our allies want to see a free Cuba," he stated.
The Cuban regime responded by accusing Santo Domingo of acting under the influence of the United States and counted ten affected officials, compared to the nine reported by the Dominican Foreign Ministry.
Diplomatic sources attributed the expulsion to alleged intelligence activities by some of those officials, although the government of Santo Domingo did not officially confirm it.
Mike Gonzalez, senior researcher on security and foreign policy at The Heritage Foundation, supported the stance of the Trump administration and pointed out that the presence of powers like China, Russia, and Iran in Cuba poses a direct threat: "Their support for the Cuban dictatorship has resulted in hardships for the Cuban people."
In this context, the Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero confirmed in July that there is a working team negotiating with the U.S., although with no concrete results or public endorsement of formal progress.
Granda's stance summarizes the tension of the moment: the door to dialogue remains ajar, but time is running out and military options remain on the table.
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