Meeting between US military chief and senior officers of the Cuban army raises tension on the island
A meeting held between the head of the US Southern Command and the first vice minister of the General Staff of Cuba further strains the relationship between both countries
An unusual meeting organized by Francis L. Donovan, head of the United States Southern Command (Southcom), at the perimeter of the Guantánamo Bay naval station, which was attended by a contingent of Cuban soldiers led by Roberto Legrá Sotolongo, first vice minister of the General Staff of Cuba, increased tension in the Caribbean nation.
For several weeks, President Donald Trump has remained firm in his idea that Cuba needs to implement government changes through the introduction of economic and political reforms that allow opening to foreign investment in several of its productive sectors.
This approach entails removing, through a democratic process, the military from the positions they occupy at the head of the government to give the opportunity to civilians, which would imply a resounding and historic change on the island.
As a means of pressure, Trump intensified the blockade that since 1962 has prevented the arrival of a large amount of products and materials to the island.
However, the most significant thing was having forced Venezuela to stop supplying more oil to Cuba, since without fuel most activities are stopped.
As the days go by and the situation of Cubans worsens, a version pointing towards a hypothetical US military intervention in the country governed by Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez is gaining strength.
In fact, the meeting held by Commander General Francis L. Donovan with his theoretical adversaries is considered another sign that something delicate could happen in the coming weeks.
However, through a statement released by Southcom, it was reported that the generals held "a brief exchange on operational security matters."
What is controversial is that Francis L. Donovan also dedicated himself to carrying out an evaluation of the “perimeter security of the naval base”, this without going into details about the reason for doing so in the middle of one of the most critical stages in the sustained diplomatic relationship between the United States and Cuba.
“Guantanamo Bay Naval Station constitutes a vital operational and logistics center that supports United States military efforts to counter threats that undermine security, stability and democracy in our hemisphere,” states another part of the letter.