According to reports by Cuban media such as the 'Cuban Daily' and CiberCuba, on September 2, two U.S. Navy littoral combat ships arrived at the Guantanamo naval base located within Cuban territory. This marks another sign of Washington's increasing military pressure on the island.
The U.S. Guantanamo Naval Base posted a welcome message on its social media, expressing "welcoming" to two ships and their crew.
It is reported that the first ship to arrive was the ‘Billings’, a Freedom-class coastal combat ship. As part of its scheduled deployment in the Caribbean, it has docked in Guantanamo.
Afterwards, the destination was "Minneapolis-St. Paul" ship, which departed from Cape Canaveral Naval Station, Florida on August 27th and arrived in Guantanamo on Monday.
Bilinda arrives at Guantanamo Naval Base – Screenshot from foreign media
According to the Navy's official description, both types of platforms are designed for operations in shallow water and coastal waters. 'The Harbor Warfighter Network is designed to counter threats from coastal mines, ‘terrorist attacks’, and stealth submarines.'
CiberCuba stated that this visit took place at a time when tensions between Washington and Havana were intensifying, with both sides taking a series of unprecedented diplomatic and military actions in recent times.
In May, CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with senior officials of the Cuban Interior Ministry in Havana and conveyed a threat from the Trump administration to Cuban Interior Minister Rafael Albarez Casas: there exists an “opportunity window that will not be maintained indefinitely.”
Several days later, Francis L. Donovan, commander of the United States Southern Command, met with Roberto Legra Soto Lloronigo, chief of staff of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, outside the base. This was the first such meeting between the two military commands in recent times.
In mid-June, U.S. “War Secretary” Peter Hayssen visited Guantanamo and warned Cuba not to acquire weapons that could be used to attack the base or U.S. territory.
Haghes said, “The future of Cuba is in the hands of its leadership.” He also stated that the “War Department” will consider “all possible options” in any emergency situation.
Regarding this, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel stated in May that "Cuba does not pose a threat and has no plans or intentions of aggression against any country." Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs De Cosio also pointed out: "The United States is the aggressor. Cuba, as an attacked country, is responding in accordance with the principles of legitimate self-defense."
It is reported that Guantanamo Bay is located in the southeastern part of Cuba and is part of Cuban territory. In 1903, the United States signed a “permanent lease” with the Cuban government at that time, establishing a naval base there. Since then, the United States has had actual control over the area. After the Cuban Revolution in 1959, the Cuban government has long denied the legitimacy of this lease and refused to accept the U.S. rent, insisting that the United States return the territory.
