Top U.S. General Calls On Cubans To Seize Moment In Unusual CIA Appeal
U.S. Southern Command chief Francis Donovan urged Cubans to seize the moment for change, amplifying a CIA recruitment appeal after Trump floated sending warships near Cuba and Rubio called for cooperation with U.S. intelligence.
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“Cuba's future belongs to those who act. Seize the moment and build the change you want to see. No more broken promises, rampant corruption, or tolerating an elite class living in luxury while the citizens are ignored. Now is the time.”
Marine Corps Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), issued the appeal on October 24, urging Cubans to pursue political change as Washington intensified its campaign against Havana.
The statement, published on SOUTHCOM's official X account, amplified a Spanish-language recruitment message from the CIA inviting Cubans to establish confidential contact with the U.S. intelligence agency.
The intervention marked an unusual step for a U.S. combatant command, placing a senior military commander directly alongside an intelligence recruitment effort targeting citizens of another country.
SOUTHCOM Amplifies CIA Recruitment Campaign
Donovan's statement followed a series of coordinated public messages from senior U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The CIA had appealed to Cubans seeking political change to establish what it described in Spanish as an "asociación discreta," or discreet partnership, with the agency.
SOUTHCOM subsequently shared the intelligence agency's message while adding Donovan's endorsement.
The military command's involvement extended the campaign beyond diplomatic and intelligence channels, bringing a senior operational military official into a public effort to encourage Cubans to engage with the CIA.
Trump Raises Prospect Of Warships Near Cuba
The sequence followed remarks by Trump at a rally in South Florida, where he suggested that U.S. naval vessels returning from operations related to Iran could approach Cuba.
"We're going to come back from Iran. Those beautiful ships will pass Cuba. We'll have one of them stop about 50 yards off the coast. They'll raise up their hands, and then we're going to send Marco Rubio in to finish up the deal," Trump said.
Trump also suggested Washington would address Cuba after its operations involving Iran.
The remarks came amid repeated signals from the administration about possible political change on the island.
In late September, Trump had indicated that Washington could reach an agreement with Havana without military intervention. Rubio, meanwhile, declared on September 29 that Cuba had already fallen.
Rubio And CIA Urge Cubans To Establish Contact
Rubio reinforced the administration's messaging on October 23, directly encouraging Cubans to cooperate with U.S. intelligence.
"To those who seek to create positive change in Cuba – now is the time. The disappointment of failed promises, corruption, and the privileged lives of only a few; seize this opportunity to create the change you desire through a discrete partnership with the CIA," Rubio wrote on X.
The CIA followed with a Spanish-language version of the appeal, accompanied by a video explaining how individuals could contact the agency.
Its guidance included recommendations involving virtual private networks, private browsing and disposable email accounts to reduce exposure when communicating with U.S. intelligence.
Donovan's subsequent message reinforced the appeal, making SOUTHCOM the third prominent U.S. institution in the sequence after the State Department and CIA.
Washington Expands Pressure On Havana
The public recruitment campaign forms part of a broader escalation in U.S. pressure on Cuba during 2026.
Washington's measures have included an oil blockade and additional economic restrictions that have contributed to fuel shortages and electricity blackouts across the island.
The pressure intensified following the U.S. operation in January that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
U.S. maritime enforcement has also targeted fuel shipments bound for Cuba. On October 2, reports indicated that the U.S. Coast Guard had intercepted two vessels carrying fuel to the island, including the Grace, which was stopped on September 5.
Alongside economic measures, reports have indicated that Washington has examined military options involving Cuba and established a dedicated CIA task force focused on the country.
Earlier in 2026, Donovan also held an uncommon meeting with senior Cuban military representatives near the perimeter of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.
His latest statement adds a public political dimension to SOUTHCOM's involvement in developments surrounding Cuba.
Cuban Government Dismisses CIA Appeal
Havana has rejected the recruitment campaign, with Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío characterizing the CIA's public outreach as an indication of "desperation."
He compared the intelligence agency's recruitment effort to the marketing of toothpaste, dismissing Washington's attempt to solicit cooperation from Cuban citizens.
The response came as the Trump administration combined economic restrictions, public intelligence recruitment and increasingly explicit military messaging in its approach to Cuba.
Donovan's intervention brought those elements together in an unusual public appeal from the commander responsible for U.S. military operations across Latin America and the Caribbean.
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