US military is not preparing for Cuba takeover, top general tells lawmakers

The U.S. 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 told lawmakers on Thursday.



But the U.S. stands ready to address any threats to the U.S. embassy, defend its base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and aid U.S. government efforts to address any mass migration from the island, if needed, General Francis Donovan, head of U.S. Southern Command, said.



Donovan's remarks came during a Senate hearing focused on President Donald Trump's increasingly muscular use of the U.S. military in Latin America, where his administration has re-asserted the idea that the region falls into Washington's zone of influence.