The presence of a US nuclear-powered submarine at the Guantanamo Bay naval base for several days last week was described by Cuba’s government as a “provocative escalation,” while a US official said it was a resupply stop by the vessel on its route to maritime exercises.
According to a statement issued by Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the submarine was stationed at the island’s US military installation from July 5 to July 8. It didn’t go into any further information.
“This is a provocative escalation by the United States, the political or strategic motivations of which are unknown,” the foreign ministry stated in a statement.
According to the US State Department, the relocation of US military assets is not discussed.
According to a US Defense official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a military operation, the Navy submarine conducted a routine resupply stop at Guantanamo Bay. It then proceeded south to take part in UNITAS, the world’s oldest international maritime exercise.
“Today marks the two-year anniversary of the Cuban people’s legitimate human rights protests and the Cuban government’s repressive response,” said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. “Attempts by the Cuban government to distract the world from the significance of this day are transparent and risible.”
The July 11 street protests were the largest in Cuba since at least a quarter-century ago, when then-President Fidel Castro personally walked into the streets to calm crowds of thousands enraged by the island’s catastrophic shortages following the fall of the Soviet Union.
Many demonstrators were outraged by long lineups, food and medicine shortages, and frequent power outages. The Cuban government described the protests as a US-backed attempt to disrupt peace and order, and hundreds were arrested.
According to Cuba’s Foreign Ministry, 33 Latin American countries signed an agreement on Tuesday pledging to establish a “Zone of Peace” and warning about “the danger posed by the presence and circulation of nuclear submarines of the United States armed forces in the nearby Caribbean region.”
Cuba regards the US presence at the Guantanamo Bay naval base as an occupation and has repeatedly requested its repatriation.
