U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that a military option for Cuba remains under consideration. Hegseth made the assessment while speaking to journalists during a meeting of the American Coalition Against Cartels in Panama.
Hegseth, who took part in military exercises in Panama, said the United States was working closely with regional countries such as Panama and Ecuador on security and efforts to combat drug cartels. Saying that Colombia was the coalition's 19th member, Hegseth said the country had proposed establishing the coalition's headquarters on its territory.
A hard-line slogan for the coalition
Hegseth said the coalition's slogan had been set as “We do bad things to bad people.” Describing the United States as the “partner of choice” for countries in the region, Hegseth accused China, Russia and Iran of pursuing activities in South America based on “exploitation.”
Hegseth's statement on a military option for Cuba
Addressing Cuba, Hegseth said, “All options, including the military option, remain on the table.” Hegseth argued that the Cuban government should take U.S. President Donald Trump's demands into consideration and claimed that the Cuban military could not match the military power of the United States.
Hegseth also recalled the day former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was captured by American soldiers. He said that air defense systems supplied by Russia had failed to protect Caracas and that Cuban security personnel had also been unable to protect Maduro.
Emphasis on the Panama Canal
Referring to the Panama Canal's strategic importance for the United States, Hegseth said the Panamanian authorities were ready to cooperate to prevent interference with the canal's operation. Hegseth said they would not allow any country to use the Panama Canal as a tool of threat.
Statements on the blockade of Cuba
In a statement dated July 7, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez described the U.S. blockade of Cuba as an “act of war.” Rodriguez said the blockade was “slowly suffocating and killing” the Cuban people.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also told journalists on July 23 that change in Cuba would be difficult but necessary for a better future. Rubio accused the Cuban government of clinging to an ideology he said had failed and of driving the country toward destruction.
At a time when tensions between the United States and Iran continued in the Middle East, U.S. media published reports that the U.S. Department of Defense was considering different options for action against Cuba.
