The top general at U.S. Southern Command publicly urged Cubans over the weekend to take action and change their country’s future. His message amplified a Central Intelligence Agency appeal for intelligence cooperation that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had endorsed days earlier.

Gen. Francis Donovan wrote on X that now was the time for Cubans to seize the moment. The commander’s statement came as several senior military leaders and U.S. government officials issued messages calling for change in Cuba.

“Cuba’s future belongs to those who act. Seize the moment and build the change you want to see,” Donovan, the commander of U.S. Southern Command, said in the statement. “No more broken promises, rampant corruption, or tolerating an elite class living in luxury while the citizens are ignored. Now is the time.”

On Monday, the U.S. Embassy in Havana announced that its chief of mission, Mike Hammer, had met with Donovan. The embassy provided few details about their discussion, saying on X that the two had “plenty to talk about regarding Cuba.”

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Southern Command reposted the embassy’s announcement. The public exchange placed additional attention on the command as officials continued issuing increasingly direct statements about Cuba and its government.

Rubio last week also encouraged Cubans dissatisfied with their government to pursue political change through a covert relationship with the U.S. intelligence agency. His statement echoed the themes of corruption, failed promises and privilege raised by Donovan.

“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 discreet partnership with the CIA,” Rubio wrote on X.

Since returning to office in 2025, President Donald Trump has repeatedly discussed possible military operations against Cuba. Those comments have come as part of a wider push involving several countries and territories in the Western Hemisphere.

The United States enacted an oil blockade on Cuba, while several naval deployments to the Caribbean have been characterized as shows of force. One such deployment involved the USS Nimitz this May.

The blockade has caused an energy crisis on the island in recent months, according to reporting by The New York Times. Widespread blackouts have affected hospitals and other infrastructure across Cuba.

According to the United Nations, approximately 3.5 million people have faced water shortages. More than 100,000 patients, including 11,000 children, were awaiting surgeries delayed by power outages and supply shortages earlier this year.

CBS News reported this summer that the Pentagon was considering options for strikes on Cuba. Those options included air assaults by the 101st Airborne Division.

In September, CBS News reported that the Army Reserve was reviewing its ability to provide support units for a military mission in Cuba. A document reviewed by the network said SOUTHCOM would oversee troops that would be “possibly [be] needed in 90-120 days.”

Trump also raised the possibility of military action against Cuba during a Friday rally in Florida. He said ships returning from the war with Iran could travel to the island.

“Those beautiful [U.S. Navy] ships will pass Cuba. We’ll have one of them stop about 50 yards off the coast,” Trump said. “They’ll raise up their hands. And then we’re going to send Marco Rubio in to finish up the deal.”

It remains unclear whether the government’s statements point to pending military action against Cuba or whether Southern Command is preparing for imminent operations. SOUTHCOM did not respond to Task & Purpose’s questions about the statements by publication time.

After assembling a large military force in the Caribbean last fall, the U.S. military conducted a raid into Venezuela in January. The operation captured President Nicolas Maduro following his indictment by the Justice Department.

In May, the Justice Department issued indictments for multiple Cuban officials, including former President Raul Castro. The large naval force that was in the region at the start of the year has since shrunk, but several Pentagon elements remain in the Caribbean.

Those elements include drones and aircraft deployed to bases in Puerto Rico. Marines with Littoral Combat Force-24 are also operating from the island when not in the Eastern Pacific as part of Joint Task Force-Western Hemisphere.

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