In an unusual display of direct communication between two increasingly hostile governments, the top United States general for Latin America met face-to-face with a senior Cuban military official, on Friday, at the perimeter fence of the US Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay.
US General Francis Donovan, head of Southern Command, met with Cuban General Roberto Legra Sotolongo for a brief exchange focused on operational security matters.
Donovan also led a perimeter security assessment of the facility and discussed the safety of service members and operational readiness.
Cuba’s military confirmed the meeting, while both sides described the encounter in a positive way, contending it took place to address issues related to security around the dividing perimeter of the military enclave.
The meeting comes at a moment of acute tension between Washington and Havana. Reports last week suggested that Cuba has been considering drone strikes on the base in the event of a US military attack.
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Cuba’s Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez, also warned in a statement that any military action by the US would lead to a catastrophic loss of life on both sides.
The Trump administration has been steadily building pressure on the island; effectively imposing a fuel blockade by threatening tariffs on countries that supply Cuba with oil, triggering cascading power outages, and dealing fresh blows to an already struggling economy.
On May 20, the US formally charged former Cuban President Raúl Castro with four counts of murder in connection with the 1996 downing of civilian aircraft operated by Miami-based exile groups.
Considering this context, the Guantanamo meeting of generals come off as rare and unique, but also follows yet another rare visit to Havana earlier this month by CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
A visible US military buildup near Cuba, including the presence of the USS Nimitz carrier strike group in the Caribbean, has added to the atmosphere of unease on the island. Friday’s encounter does not signal any diplomatic breakthrough, rather an encounter that hinges on functionality.
