The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz has arrived in the Caribbean amid tensions between the US and Cuba
The American aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and its strike group arrived in the Caribbean this week amid tensions between the US and Cuba.
This was reported by US Southern Command, which coordinates American military operations in the Caribbean region and Latin America, according to The Hill.
The strike group includes the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Gridley, the Henry J. Kaiser-class oiler USNS Patuxent, and an air wing comprising F/A-18E Super Hornet fighters, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft and C-2A Greyhound transport aircraft.
US Southern Command stated that the USS Nimitz “has proven its combat effectiveness around the world, ensuring stability and defending democracy from the Taiwan Strait to the Arabian Gulf”.
Last week, the aircraft carrier, which entered service in 1975, took part in joint exercises with the Brazilian Navy near Rio de Janeiro.
US President Donald Trump told reporters that the administration is keeping the situation surrounding Cuba “in focus” after the US Department of Justice brought murder charges against former Cuban President Raúl Castro.
The charges relate, in particular, to the shooting down of two civilian aircraft over international waters in 1996, which resulted in the deaths of four people.
“This is very important. It was a very important moment for people, not just for Americans of Cuban descent, but also for those who came from Cuba and want to return and see their families,” Trump said.
The indictment was made public on Cuba’s Independence Day.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is of Cuban descent, addressed the island’s residents in Spanish on the same day. In his address, he backed the US embargo on fuel supplies to Cuba and blamed the current communist regime for the constant power cuts.
Last week, CIA Director John Ratcliffe also held a meeting with Cuban officials on the island. According to a source, during the talks he emphasised that the window for dialogue would not remain open indefinitely.
