Cuba Denounces US Nuclear-powered Submarine Presence at Guantánamo Base
Cuba has condemned the recent presence of a US nuclear-powered submarine at the Guantánamo military base, describing it as a provocation. The submarine had reportedly anchored at the base for three days, from July 5 to July 8. In response to the accusation, Washington claimed that the submarine made a logistical stop on its journey to the South, where it was supposed to participate in naval exercises.
This incident comes in the wake of the recent controversy surrounding a Chinese spy base on the island, which was initially denied by the White House but eventually admitted. The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement criticizing the US’s provocative escalation and questioning the motives behind such actions in a peaceful region. However, no additional information was provided about the submarine’s route or armament.
Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the US State Department, dismissed Cuba’s claims, calling the Cuban government’s attempts to distract the world transparent and laughable.
The timing of the incident has raised suspicions that it might be an attempt by the US to divert attention from the second anniversary of the protests that took place on July 11, 2021, in Cuba. During these protests, thousands of people took to the streets to express their frustration over the scarcity of basic goods and continuous power outages amidst a severe economic crisis. The protests were met with severe repression, leading to the criminal prosecution of around 700 protesters.
According to a US Department of Defense official, the submarine’s presence at the Guantánamo Bay base was merely a logistical stop before continuing south to participate in the annual UNITAS exercises. These exercises, which involve the navies of the United States and several Latin American countries, have been conducted since 1959 as part of the commitments of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (TIAR).
The White House has chosen not to comment on the incident at Guantánamo base. The US naval base, which occupies 117 square kilometers in southeastern Cuba, has been maintained by the United States since 1898, following the Spanish defeat in the war of independence. In 1903, Washington obtained a lease for the base, which Cuba considers as an occupation.
The base is also home to a prison that was established by the United States 21 years ago, after the 9/11 attacks, to detain terrorist “enemy combatants” without affording them the rights they would have had as prisoners on US soil. While the prison initially held 779 prisoners, there are currently only around thirty detainees.
In its statement, the Cuban Foreign Ministry highlighted the danger posed by the presence and circulation of US nuclear submarines in the nearby Caribbean region and reminded that 33 Latin American countries pledged to maintain the region as a “zone of peace.”
As tensions continue to rise, it remains to be seen how this incident and the broader geopolitical dynamics in the region will impact the already strained relations between the United States and Cuba.