Cuba Calls US Submarine at Guantanamo Bay an ‘Escalation’
Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday decried the presence of a nuclear-powered submarine at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, calling it a “provocative escalation.” The submarine was reportedly there Wednesday through Saturday.
Facts
- Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday decried the presence of a nuclear-powered submarine at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, calling it a “provocative escalation.” The submarine was reportedly there Wednesday through Saturday.1
- A statement from the Foreign Ministry said: “the presence of a nuclear submarine there at this moment makes it imperative to wonder what is the military reason behind this action in this peaceful region of the world.”2
- A US State Dept. spokesperson also said that Cuba’s complaint was a way to distract from the two-year anniversary of the July 11 protests, which saw people taking to the streets over severe shortages of everyday essentials.3
- Additionally, an anonymous US Defense Dept. official — who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly — said a Navy submarine made a scheduled logistics stop in Cuba before participating in a multinational maritime exercise (UNITAS) off the coast of South America.3
- Cuba’s complaint follows improved relations between the nation and Russia. The two countries, both under US sanctions, have increased bilateral projects and diplomatic visits by senior officials. Earlier this month they declared they would pursue closer "political-military" cooperation.4
Sources: 1Al Jazeera, 2Reuters, 3ABC News, and 4Al Arabiya English.
Narratives
- Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by TeleSUR. The US is continuing to violate the sovereign rights of Cuba. It’s bad enough that it has occupied a small portion of the island to run a prison known for violating human rights for more than a century, but now it’s sending a nuclear submarine into Cuba’s territory. The US must show more respect for Cuba's sovereignty.
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by The Hill. There’s nothing for Cuba to complain about. The US has a naval base on the island and the submarine was there legally. The US will continue to move military assets wherever appropriate and always in compliance with international law.
