The US military is not rehearsing for an invasion of Cuba or actively preparing to militarily take over the island, the top general overseeing American forces in Latin America has told lawmakers.
But Gen Francis Donovan, head of US Southern Command, said the Pentagon stands ready to address any threats to the US embassy in Havana, defend its base at Guantánamo Bay and aid US government efforts to address any mass migration from the island, if needed.
Donovan’s remarks came during a Senate hearing focused on Donald Trump’s increasing use of the US military in Latin America, where his administration has reasserted the idea that the region falls into Washington’s zone of influence.
