America’s enemies became emboldened under the Biden admin. Now Trump has to deal with the consequences.
And this foreign enemy made a threat that has the Pentagon on red alert.
On Wednesday, Cuba’s communist regime, led by dictator Raúl Castro and figurehead president Miguel Díaz-Canel, initiated military exercises aimed at bolstering the nation’s defense readiness.
These maneuvers, known as “Bastion 2024,” are designed to prepare the country for potential “actions of the enemy,” which the regime identifies as the United States.
The exercises come in the wake of President Donald Trump’s inauguration and the subsequent reintroduction of Cuba to the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, a decision that has drawn ire from Havana.
According to Díaz-Canel, the drills are critical for maintaining the nation’s “military invulnerability” amidst what he describes as the “totally hegemonic, interventionist” policies of the new U.S. administration.
In an address to government officials, Díaz-Canel proclaimed, “Compatriots, during the next three days we will carry out the Bastion 2024 strategic exercise to continue raising the level of preparation and cohesion of the leadership and command bodies… and thus, together with the people, confront any variant of aggression against our homeland.”
The exercises continued through Saturday, January 25, coinciding with the Castro regime’s “National Day of Defense.”
Granma, which is the official newspaper of the Communist Party of Cuba, characterized “Bastion 2024” as an integral part of the nation’s defense strategy, describing it as an “essential element in the materialization of our doctrine of the war of the whole people.”
The drills include tactical maneuvers executed by the Revolutionary Armed Forces, the Interior Ministry, and other defense entities.
The regime has emphasized the need to address challenges beyond traditional military threats. Granma reported that the exercises aim to combat “irregular migration activity, crime, crime control, and actions to address challenges on social media.”
However, the publication offered no clarification on whether “irregular migration” refers to the hundreds of thousands of Cubans fleeing the island amid an escalating migrant crisis — a crisis largely attributed to the country’s six decades of communist mismanagement.
In a further display of militarization, Cuban youth are also participating in the “Student Bastion” program, which involves political and ideological training, unconventional warfare preparation, and hands-on lessons with AKM assault rifles.
This aligns with Cuba’s policy of compulsory military service for young men between the ages of 18 and 28.
The drills also follow a tragic incident earlier this month in which two explosions at an ammunition depot in Holguín k*lled 13 Cuban military personnel, including nine young conscripts. The regime claims the facility stored “war material.”
Díaz-Canel has also called for an aggressive campaign on social media, urging revolutionaries to actively create content defending the communist regime.
Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz further reinforced the regime’s defiant stance, stating that Cuba’s strength lies in its people’s resolve.
“They [the United States] are prepared, they have the most modern equipment and weapons, but they lack what we have in abundance, which is the willingness to fight and die to defend the homeland,” Marrero Cruz declared.
As tensions between Cuba and the U.S. escalate under the Trump administration, the regime appears intent on demonstrating its readiness for confrontation, both militarily and ideologically.
Stay tuned to the Conservative Column.
