More than 50,000 Cubans took to the streets in the southern city of Guant谩namo on February 26 to reject United States President Donald Trump鈥檚 plan to use the Guant谩namo Bay Naval Base as a detention centre for deported migrants.
Trump announced in January the construction of a 30,000-bed prison at Guant谩namo Bay to detain migrants deported from the US. Although the installation of tents has since been temporarily suspended, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth the base on February 25 to 鈥渆nsure its safety and operational effectiveness鈥.
The US-controlled military base is on Cuban soil and represents a violation of the country鈥檚 sovereignty. The Cuban government signed an indefinite 鈥渓ease鈥 with the US government in 1903 to hand over Guant谩namo Bay, if it refused.
Since then, the US has used the base as a launching point for , such as its invasion of the Dominican Republic in 1965 and Grenada in 1983.
The base has contained a prison since 2002, which is a notorious site of .
Observers from the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2022 the prison 鈥渁 site of unparalleled notoriety, defined by the systematic use of torture, and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment against hundreds of men brought to the site and deprived of their most fundamental rights鈥.
They called on the US government to close the site and return the prisoners home or to safe third countries.
Despite the post-revolution Cuban government鈥檚 consistent protests, the US government refuses to cease operations at Guant谩namo Bay and withdraw.
Now, human rights groups have denounced Trump鈥檚 plan as 鈥溾, and pointed out that many of the migrants are towards Latin America that have caused widespread poverty and insecurity.聽
Since January, the Trump government has taken to Guant谩namo Bay, the majority of whom were sent to Venezuela within a few weeks. During this time, they were , denied contact with their families or lawyers and withheld food and water by US soldiers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
The American Civil Liberties Union, Center for Constitutional Rights and International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) have filed against the Trump government on behalf of the migrants to block their transfer to Guant谩namo Bay and to those already there to provide legal assistance.
鈥淔or decades, Guant谩namo has been the site of grave human rights abuses perpetrated by the US government,鈥 said lawyer Kimberly Grano from IRAP. 鈥淭he Trump administration is exploiting this sordid history to send the message that no cruelty is off limits in its assault on the rights and humanity of immigrants.鈥
Speakers at the rally denounced the continued US presence in Cuba, which not only violates the country鈥檚 sovereignty but affects local people鈥檚 right of movement and access to one of the pocket bays.
Speakers also the US blockade that prevents food, medicine, fuel and other essentials from reaching the country.