For Your Information
The History of the Guantanamo U.S. Naval Base and the Position of the Government of Cuba
In 1898, the U.S. intervened in the Cuban Revolutionary War against Spain, turning the conflict into the year-long Spanish-Cuban-North American War, fought mainly on Cuban soil. By the end of the year, the Spanish were defeated and the U.S. forces established a military occupation government in Cuba which would last until May, 1902, when the U.S. forces withdrew from Cuba. However, the Americans retained almost total control over the Island, and, under the Platt Amendment signed by U.S. President McKinley in March, 1901, kept the "right to intervene" in Cuba's affairs in order to "preserve its independence". In fact, the Platt Amendment was attached to the Constitution of Cuba as a prerequisite for the withdrawal of American troops in 1902.
In its early days as a neo-colonial republic, Cuba, with little experience in self-government and with weak public institutions, had a succession of corrupt governments which, combined with a growing economic dependence on the U.S., resulted in many years of political turmoil and social deterioration. In 1903, the U.S. established the naval base at Guantanamo through an agreement with the first such corrupt government under President Tomas Estrada Palma. Article II of the agreement granted the U.S. the right to do all they deemed necessary to outfit it as a naval base "and for no other purpose". A Treaty of Relations was also signed that year which enshrined all the provisions of the Platt Amendment.
This Treaty was in effect until 1934, when, under the "Good Neighbour" policy of President F.D. Roosevelt, a new Treaty of Relations was signed by the two countries that abrogated the earlier 1903 Treaty, thereby abrogating the Platt Amendment. The new Treaty, however, sustained the presence of Guantanamo Naval Base. Article III of the new Treaty stated that the naval base would continue: "until the two contracting parties agree to the modification of the agreement in regard to the lease . . . of the lands." It continued: " So long as the United States of America shall not abandon the said naval station of Guantanamo or the two Governments shall not agree to a modification of its present limits, the station shall continue to have the territorial area that it now has, with the limits that it has on the date of the signature of the present Treaty."
One of the abusive conditions of the Treaty was that the 117.6 square kilometres (11,760 hectares) of prime land, comprising one of the best bays in the country, would be leased for the nominal sum of U.S.$2000 per year. Currently, that amount is $4,085 annually, which translates to 34.7 cents per hectare. The affrontery is such that the annual cheques from the U.S. are addressed to the Treasurer-General of the Republic of Cuba, a position and an institution that no longer exist. Due to its sense of dignity and absolute disagreement with the continued existence of the U.S. presence, the People's Republic of Cuba has never cashed one of these cheques.
After the victory of the Revolution in Cuba, the base was the source of repeated friction between Cuba and the U.S. The overwhelming majority of the more than 3000 Cubans who worked there were fired from their jobs and replaced by people from other countries. At present, only ten Cubans work there. In the past, shots were fired from the base, killing several Cuban soldiers.
Counter-revolutionaries found haven and support there. Following unilateral decisions by U.S. governments throughout the revolutionary period in Cuba, tens of thousands of immigrants -Haitians and Cubans who tried to make it to the United States by their own means - were taken to Guantanamo. Throughout more than four decades, the base has been put to many uses, all of which violate the agreement that justified its presence. The obvious solution would be to undergo discussions to end the illogical presence of the naval base, and for the U.S. to return the land to Cuba.
However, a basic principle of Cuba's policy toward this continued occupation is to not make it the major issue of contention between the two countries, as there are so many more serious problems to be sorted out. In the Pledge of Baraguá presented on February 19, 2000, the issue of the Guantanamo base is dealt with in the last point and formulated in the following way: "In due course, since it is not our main objective at this time, although it is our people's right and one that we shall never renounce, the illegally occupied territory of Guantanamo should be returned to Cuba!" The Cuban government's January 11th statement further points out that although the Cuban people have always been willing to fight and die in defense of their sovereignty and their rights, their most sacred duty has been to preserve the nation from avoidable, unnecessary and bloody wars. Given that the region of Guantanamo is one where American and Cuban soldiers stand face to face, extreme caution must be exercised to avoid outbreaks of hostility and interference from anyone. In recent years, the Cuban government reports that relations in the region have stabilized, for the well-being of all.