Guantanamo Bay History

Guantanamo Bay is a natural harbor located in Guantanamo province of southeastern Cuba. It is renowned as a US Naval Base and a detention camp for the prisoners of recently fought wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Surrounded by steep hills, the Guantanamo Bay has a strategic location which gives the US Navy an edge in this part of the world. Even though this region became more popular after the establishment of US Naval Base and detention facility, its history can be traced back to the 15th century, when Christopher Columbus arrived here on his second voyage of exploration.

Guantanamo Bay History and Timeline

On his second voyage of exploration, Christopher Columbus took a halt at the Guantanamo Bay harbor in 1494. (The place where he landed is known as the Fisherman's Point today.) Back then, this region was inhabited by the Taíno fisherman. On this overnight halt Guantanamo, Columbus named the bay Puerto Grande. Eventually, the Spanish forces took control of Cuba and this bay area became a strategically important location for their fleet. The Guantanamo Bay region saw some action in 1741, when the British forces occupied it for a brief period during the War of Jenkins' Ear. (The British referred to this bay as the Cumberland Bay.)

History of American Presence at Guantanamo Bay
The US presence at Guantanamo Bay was first recorded during the Spanish-American War of 1898, when the US Navy - heading for Santiago, took shelter at this natural harbor. On 10th June, 1898, a battalion of US Marines landed at the Fisherman's Point and camped in this region. The Battle of Guantanamo Bay turned out to be one of the most important chapters of the Spanish-American War as both sides fought to seize the harbor which was of strategic and commercial importance. After an intense battle that followed, the US troops captured this harbor - which turned out to be of great help in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba as well as the eventual invasion of Puerto Rico. In 1901, Cuba got independence, and the Platt Amendment laid the conditions for US withdrawal from the region and the relationship between the two nations.

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
In 1903, Cuba and the United States of America signed the Cuban-American Treaty which gave the United States territorial control of the southern Guantanamo Bay. The perpetual lease offered by the then Cuban President - Tomás Estrada Palma, and signed by the then President of the United States - Theodore Roosevelt, gave America the right to construct a naval base and start coaling operations in this region. As per the stipulations mentioned in the Cuban-American Treaty the United States was to get absolute jurisdiction and control over the Guantanamo Bay area, while the ultimate sovereignty of the same rested with the Republic of Cuba. The US Naval Station at the Guantanamo Bay was officially opened on 10th December, 1913, while the US Naval Operating Base - Guantanamo Bay was established on 1st April, 1941. Eventually, on 18th June, 1952, the name of this naval base was changed from Naval Operating Base to Naval Base.

Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp
Even though the use of Guantanamo Bay as a detention camp facility can be traced back to 1970s, when the naval base here was used to house Cuban as well as Haitian refugees who were caught at the sea, its actual use as a full-fledged prison is much more recent. Basically, Guantanamo Bay prison history can be traced to its use to house the prisoners of war since 2001 Afghanistan War. In 2002, the then US administration under President George W. Bush established a full-fledged detention camp at the Guantanamo Bay. It was first used to detain the prisoners of Afghanistan War, and eventually used to detain the prisoners of Iraq War of 2003. Since October 2001, as many as 775 prisoners of war have been detained at the Guantanamo Bay prison before being released or transferred to other facilities. As of November 2010, 174 prisoners continue to languish in this detention camp - which has been making quite some buzz for all the wrong reasons.

That covered all the important events of the history of this natural harbor - right from Christopher Columbus naming it Puerto Grande to its use as a detention camp for the prisoner of Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Even though the Guantanamo Bay area is under the direct control of the United States as of today, the current Cuban administration terms it illegal control of region which rightfully belongs to Cuba. As far as the Cuban-American Treaty which gave America the control of Guantanamo Bay is concerned, the Cuban administration is of the opinion that it was obtained by the United States of America by force.