U.S. Commander Held Rare Meeting with Cuban Military in Guantanamo
The Commander of U.S. Southern Command, Marine Corps General Francis Donovan, held a meeting with high-ranking representatives of the Cuban armed forces near the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay. This was reported by Bloomberg, according to UNN.
Details
According to the U.S. Command, Donovan met with Cuba’s First Deputy Chief of the General Staff, General Roberto Legra Sotolongo, and other officers for a “brief exchange on operational security issues.” The American general also inspected the security status of the base perimeter and discussed issues regarding the safety of service members, their families, and combat readiness with its leadership.
Details of the negotiations have not been disclosed. The visit took place just over two weeks after CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s trip to Havana, where he held talks with representatives of the Cuban authorities.
U.S. increases pressure on Cuba
Bloomberg notes that the meeting is taking place against the backdrop of the Donald Trump administration’s hardline policy toward Cuba. Washington is demanding political and economic reforms from the Cuban government while simultaneously increasing sanctions and diplomatic pressure on the island nation.
In recent weeks, the U.S. has also brought charges against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro and several other officials over the 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft. At the same time, the White House does not rule out further tightening of measures against the Cuban regime if the current policy does not yield results.