So here’s the thing about Trump’s “Cuba is next” warning: it’s starting to feel less like rhetoric and more like a blueprint.
The White House made good on Venezuela first, capturing Nicolás Maduro in that January raid we all watched unfold. Now the pressure on Havana is getting real. The latest development? A direct meeting between the top U.S. commander in Latin America and Cuban military officials right there at Guantanamo Bay.
Gen. Francis Donovan, heading up U.S. Southern Command, sat down with Lt. Gen. Roberto Legrá Sotolongo and other Cuban military leaders. TheCuban side called it a positive exchange, focusing on security along the perimeter of the U.S. naval base there. They even agreed to keep communication lines open between the two military commands.
But let’s not confuse politeness with progress.
This meeting happened amid a full-court press from the Trump administration. We’re talking about an oil blockade, warships circling the Caribbean, and—perhaps most dramatically—indictments against former Cuban President Raúl Castro on federal charges. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA chief John Ratcliffe have both been in the mix, trying to squeeze some kind of concessions out of Havana. From what the reporting tells us, the Cubans haven’t budged, and the response has been even more sanctions.
The military footprint is growing too. A fresh unit of 1,300 sailors and Marines is heading to the region to replace the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, which deployed there last summer. It’s a smaller force than what was involved in the Maduro operation, but it’s still a significant presence.
Here’s what strikes me: we’ve got a decades-long friction point with Cuba’s socialistgovernment, and now Trump’s making no secret that he wants those leaders gone. The base at Guantanamo remains a constant thorn in the relationship, and every new sanction, every new warship, every new indictment pushes things further into uncertain territory.
What happens when Havana decides it can’t wait anymore? Or when Washington decides the current pressure isn’t enough? That’s the question nobody seems eager to answer, but the pieces are definitely moving.
