As questions grow about what comes next for Cuba, Puerto Rican officials say in an exclusive interview that their territory is now a key part of the United States’ strategy in the Caribbean.
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As military operations in Puerto Rico ramped up under the Trump administration last year, the island’s officials say they are prepared by air and by sea for possible military intervention in Cuba.
“Right now, our nation’s forces are obviously here in Puerto Rico,” said Brigadier General Arthur J. Garffer Jr., the secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety. “It’s not a secret.”
Garffer says the island is playing a central role in the Trump administration’s strategy to take back the Caribbean basin and Latin America.
“So we saw earlier in late last year, earlier this year, the events that unfolded with the capture of Maduro,” he said. “So Puerto Rico played a key role in that.”
Garffer said it would be significant if some kind of overthrow of this communist regime were to happen before or on July 26, which symbolizes the start of the Cuban Revolution for the regime. There are no confirmed details that the U.S. will take military action.
Meanwhile, tension between the United States and Cuba continues to escalate. The Trump administration recently announced new sanctions targeting relatives of Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel and members of the Castro family. Plus, the indictment of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro for his role in the Brothers to the Rescue shootdowns.
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“President Trump is giving every opportunity to Diaz-Canel, to Raul Castro, and to this cast of dictatorial characters to find an exit strategy,” Garffer said.
Garfier suggested Cuban leadership could possibly find refuge in Russia, North Korea or China.
Meanwhile, Cuba continues to face an economic crisis, frequent power outages and growing public frustration. But Garffer says military intervention is not off the table.
“The Cuban communist dictatorial regime, their days are numbered,” he said.
NBC6 political analyst Alex Penelas says whatever happens next in Cuba, Puerto Rico is likely to be at the center of it.
“Whether it’s a peaceful transition, and it simply is a staging area for humanitarian relief, or if there’s some sort of military intervention,” he said. “Puerto Rico will play an important role, no doubt.”
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