U.S. Submarine in Guantánamo Bay: Cuban Government Reacts

The Cuban government acknowledged on Friday that it had been informed in advance about the arrival of a U.S. nuclear submarine in the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base area. However, it expressed discontent over the presence of a "medium of such nature" belonging to a "hostile" power in national territory.

"We were aware of its presence, as in accordance with procedures we have followed for years, the United States informed us in advance," stated Carlos Fernández de Cossío Domínguez, Cuba's Deputy Foreign Minister, in an interview with journalist Arleen Rodríguez Derivet. "Evidently, we do not like the presence in our territory and transiting through our waters of a medium of such nature, belonging to a power that maintains an official policy and practice that is hostile against Cuba," added the senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Fernández de Cossío explained that visits by naval vessels to a country are usually the result of an invitation, clarifying that this was not the case here. "The important thing to remember is the illegal and unacceptable nature of the occupation of part of our territory by a foreign power against the will of the Cuban people. It is an illegitimate military occupation and that is what makes the difference," he concluded.

U.S. Southern Command Confirms Submarine's Arrival

On June 13, the United States Southern Command confirmed the arrival of the nuclear submarine USS Helena in Guantánamo Bay, describing it as a "routine port visit." "The fast attack submarine USS Helena is in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, as part of a routine port visit while transiting through the U.S. Southern Command's area of responsibility, conducting its global maritime security and national defense mission," the statement published on X noted. They added that "the location and transit of the vessel were previously planned."

The USS Helena is known for its advanced capabilities and cutting-edge technology, making it a crucial element in the maritime defense of the United States. The presence of the USS Helena in Guantánamo Bay was reported the day after the arrival of the Russian nuclear-powered submarine Kazan in Cuba.

Strategic Importance of Guantánamo Bay

The deployment of the USS Helena in Guantánamo reaffirms the strategic significance of this base in the context of U.S. military and security operations in the region. On Wednesday, the U.S. government had already deployed several warships and a reconnaissance aircraft to track the course of the Russian flotilla heading to Cuba.

The U.S. deployment included two destroyers, the USS Truxtun and the USS Donald Cook; the Coast Guard cutter Stone; and a maritime patrol aircraft, the Boeing P-8. The Russian Navy flotilla arrived in Havana on the same day and will remain in Cuba until June 17. The Russian flotilla docked in Cuban waters includes the fleet tanker Pashin, the rescue tug Nikolai Chiker (SB-131); the modern frigate "Admiral Gorshkov," and the nuclear submarine K-561 Kazan.