Top US commander meets Cuban military officials amid rising tensions

The top US military commander for Latin America met Cuban military officials on Friday near the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, marking a rare high-level engagement between the two sides despite mounting tensions between Washington and Havana.

US General Francis L Donovan held what US Southern Command described as a "brief exchange on operational security matters" with Cuban military leaders near the base. He also reviewed security conditions at Guantanamo Bay and discussed operational readiness and the safety of US personnel stationed there.



The meeting comes as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Cuba through sanctions, an oil blockade and an expanded military presence in the Caribbean. President Donald Trump has also adopted increasingly aggressive rhetoric toward Havana, warning earlier this year that Cuba "is next" after US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a January operation. He has since repeated it multiple times.

At the same time, senior administration officials have continued contacts with Cuban counterparts. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe have met Cuban officials in recent months to explore possible improvements in relations, though those efforts have reportedly yielded little progress and were followed by additional US sanctions.

The United States continues to maintain its naval base at Guantanamo Bay despite decades of disputes with Cuba's socialist government. Friday's meeting took place against that backdrop of strained relations and heightened US pressure on the island nation.

The Pentagon separately announced that a new contingent of about 1,300 sailors and Marines will replace the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, which has been operating in the Caribbean since last summer.

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