Cuba calls presence of US nuclear submarine at Guantanamo Bay a 'provocative escalation'

[Judi Lynn]

7. Cuba protests docking of U.S. nuclear submarine at Guantanamo Naval Base

The government of the island considers it as a provocative escalation by the United States with unknown political or strategic motives.

by OnCuba Staff OnCuba Staff July 12, 2023in Cuba-USA

The Cuban government issued this Tuesday a statement rejecting the docking between July 5 and 8 of a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine at the naval base that that country has maintained in Guantanamo Bay for 121 years.

The island’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) described the presence of the submarine as a “provocative escalation by the United States, whose political or strategic motives are unknown,” through a text published on its website.

The statement also stresses that the military base “has no strategic or military importance to the United States” and notes that so far there has been “no information” from the U.S. government regarding the “political or strategic reasons” for the submarine.

“The presence there of a nuclear submarine at this moment forces us to question what is the military reason for the event in this peaceful region of the world, against what objective it is directed and what strategic purpose it pursues,” the Cuban Foreign Ministry said in its statement.

The text emphasizes the rejection of “the U.S. military presence in Cuba and the demand that the illegally occupied territory in the province of Guantánamo be returned,” referring to the 117 square kilometers currently occupied by the military installation.

More:
https://oncubanews.com/en/cuba-usa/cuba-protests-docking-of-u-s-nuclear-submarine-at-guantanamo-naval-base/