As reported by the Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), General Francis Donovan, who heads the unit, met with the First Deputy of the General Staff of the Cuban Army, General Roberto Legra Sotolongo, and other high-ranking officers as part of a “short exchange on operational security matters.”
“General Donovan also conducted a security assessment of the naval base and discussed with base officials the issues of force protection, safety of Soldiers and their families, and operational readiness,” it added.
As Reuters noted, Donovan's meeting in Cuba is the first in a long time with the participation of the head of the Southern Command and took place in the face of growing concerns in Cuba about a possible US military attack on the island.
On May 20, the United States formally charged former president and de facto leader of Cuba, Raul Castro, with four counts of murder for the 1996 shooting down of a civilian plane operated by Miami emigrants. The situation provoked associations with the earlier US operation and the capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, who was also facing charges in the US.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, recently claimed that Cuba poses a threat to national security and did not rule out the use of force. As Reuters reminds, on May 5, Rubio and Donovan posed in front of a map of Cuba in a post published on the X website by SOUTHCOM. The statement said the talks focused on “U.S. efforts to counter threats that undermine security, stability and democracy in our hemisphere.”
