Cuba accuses U.S. of provocation over the arrival of a nuclear submarine

The Cuban Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the arrival of a U.S. nuclear submarine in Guantánamo Bay. Cuba accused the U.S. of provocative escalation and warned of the danger posed by the presence of U.S. submarines in the Caribbean.

The Cuban Foreign Ministry has condemned the arrival of a U.S. nuclear submarine in Guantánamo Bay, accusing the U.S. of provocative escalation, the Russian news agency TASS reports, citing the statement of the Cuban Foreign Ministry. The statement said:

"The State Department strongly condemns the arrival of a nuclear-powered submarine in Guantánamo Bay on July 5, 2023, which remained at the U.S. military base there until July 8, <>, constituting a provocative escalation by the United States, whose political or strategic motives are not known."

The ministry added that the presence of the nuclear submarine raised many questions, including what was the military reason for this action in this peaceful region of the world and what the submarine's goal was.

The Cuban Foreign Ministry reiterated its rejection of the US military presence in Cuba and demanded the return of the illegally occupied territory in the province of Guantánamo. Cuba also warned of the danger posed by the presence and patrols of U.S. submarines in the Caribbean.

After the Spanish-American War in 1898, Cuba had fallen under U.S. control. U.S. forces occupied the island in January 1899. In 1901, under pressure from the United States, the Platt Amendment was included in the Cuban Constitution, which established the protectorate of the United States over the country. In addition, Cuba leased land to the United States for an indefinite period of land for the establishment of a naval base about 15 kilometers south of the city of Guantánamo in the south of the bay of the same name. In 2002, under U.S. President George W. Bush, a prison was set up there to hold terror suspects without trial. This prison is notorious for human rights violations. Several human rights organizations as well as European states called for the closure of the prison camp and humane treatment of prisoners.

On January 22, 2009, then-U.S. President Barack Obama issued an executive order ordering the closure of the prison. However, the Guantanamo Bay detention camp still exists today, which is strongly criticized by human rights activists.

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