Speaking to American soldiers during a visit to the Guantanamo base, Hegseth emphasized that he still hopes for positive relations with Cuba, Reuters reported.
“It would be unwise for the government of Cuba to attempt to acquire or gain access to weapons capable of reaching this base or U.S. territory,” the ministry said, without giving details.
— In this way, they would lead to a confrontation that they not only do not want, but which they would not be able to withstand. No country in the world can match the capabilities of the United States, he added.
Hegseth said Washington hopes “it will soon be able to be a friend of the leaders of the Cuban government.”
— For now, we'll see what happens. But the Ministry of War (Pentagon – PAP) will give the commander-in-chief all the options he needs under this scenario, he emphasized.
Hegseth at Guantanamo Bay. Trump has had Cuba “in his sights” since the beginning of his term
Hegseth arrived at the US base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba on Wednesday morning. On Tuesday, the Pentagon announced in a statement that the minister would visit soldiers at the Guantanamo Bay base and in Tampa, Florida, where the headquarters of Central Command (CENTCOM), responsible for US forces in the Middle East, is located.
This is the second recent visit of a high-ranking US representative to Cuba. In May, General Francis Donovan, head of the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), met with Cuba's deputy chief of general staff and other military representatives on the outskirts of the Guantanamo base. According to the US, the commanders discussed “operational security issues.” CIA Director John Ratcliffe also paid a visit to Havana.
Trump often emphasizes that political change in Cuba is one of the foreign policy goals of his second term, Reuters noted.
— Perhaps Hegseth's visit is intended to once again reinforce the message that the cost of not joining the talks (with the US – PAP) may mean using the military option, even as observers increasingly warn about the potential complications of such an operation, said Michael Bustamante, head of the Cuban studies program at the University of Miami.
According to Politico, the Pentagon has been deploying soldiers and weapons for months so that the US could launch an attack on Cuba. Trump suggested that military intervention would not be necessary, although at the same time he announced he would “take” the island or change the regime ruling there.
President of Cuba subject to US sanctions
Last week, the US imposed sanctions on Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, his wife and several other representatives of Cuban authorities and institutions. This is another element of Washington's increasing pressure on the communist government in Havana, after the cutting off of oil supplies, which deepened the economic crisis in Cuba, and the tightening of financial sanctions, which led to the exodus of foreign companies from the island.
Axios wrote that the administration in Washington is preparing for the possible fall of the Cuban government, which may happen even this summer. According to the portal's sources, the US hopes that American sanctions will contribute to this.
