The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba (MINREX) announced through two statements the arrival of warships from Venezuela and Canada to the island’s ports, coinciding with the arrival of several Russian Navy ships, including them a nuclear-powered submarine.
The first to arrive will be the Royal Canadian Navy Ship “HMCS Margaret Brooke”whose arrival is scheduled for June 14.
“During their stay in Cuba, the Canadian sailors will carry out a program of activities that include courtesy visits to the head of the Revolutionary War Navy, the Governor of Havana, as well as visiting places of historical and cultural interest,” the statement mentions. of MINREX.
While the next day, Saturday, June 15, the training ship “Simón Bolívar” from Venezuela will arrive in Santiago de Cuba.
The Venezuelan sailors will complete activities similar to those of their Canadian counterparts, but in the eastern Cuban city.
In this case, MINREX clarifies that “the visit occurs as part of the XXXIV Instruction Cruise Abroad in 2024.”
The Canadian sailors will remain in Cuban territory until the 17th of this month, the same day that the Russian delegation will leave the island, while the Venezuelans will do so until the 19th.
Delivered in 2021 and commissioned in 2022, Margaret Brooke is the second Harry DeWolf-class seagoing ship of the Royal Canadian Navy.and is primarily designed for patrol and surveillance support in the Arctic regions of Canada, although in 2023 and 2024 it conducted operations in the Caribbean.
A point that raises interest is the presence of a member country of the North Atlantic Organization (NATO), such as Canada.on the same dates that the arrival of the Russian “visitors” is expected.
This Wednesday we expect the arrival of a naval detachment from the Russian Federationcomposed of four ships: The frigate ‘Gorshkov’, the nuclear-powered submarine ‘Kazan’, the fleet oil tanker ‘Pashin’ and the rescue tug “Nikolai Chiker”, as announced by the MINREX in a statement. last week.
The official note stated that the visit is in line with “the historical relations of friendship between Cuba and the Russian Federation,” and that “it strictly adheres to the international regulations to which Cuba is a State party.”
Despite these announcements, The United States government declared it was aware of military maritime visits that will take place on the island.
“Russia will temporarily send warships to the Caribbean region, and these ships will likely call at ports in Cuba and possibly Venezuela. There may also be some aircraft deployments or flights in the region,” a State Department spokesperson confirmed to Martí News.
Cuban-American Senator Marco Rubio asked President Joe Biden not to sit idly byand recalled that there has not been a Russian submarine with nuclear-capable missiles operating in the Caribbean for more than 30 years.
