Since the month of April, alleging humanitarian purposes, U.S. ships had mounted a naval blockade of Cuban ports, and unbeknownst to Cubans, they had signed a Joint Declaration with Spain, in which Cuba’s right to be free and independent was recognized, and the United States renounced any intention of exercising sovereignty over the island, except to ensure its “pacification.”

Nevertheless, with the arrival of July, the Spanish proceeded to sink an old ship, the Reina Mercedes, to obstruct the mouth of Santiago Bay and prevent the entrance of U.S. ships; while the Spanish captain general of the island, Ramón Blanco, refused to surrender; and news of the destruction by the U.S. Navy of Rear Admiral Pascual Cervera’s fleet as they attempted to leave the bay was received with jubilation in the United States.

At this point, the United States took important steps: blockading Cuban ports, mobilizing navy ships and boats, and training an army of volunteers in a Florida camp. Their success in the Philippines, their initial contacts with Cuban General Calixto García, and a representative of the Cuban Revolutionary Party, Tomás Estrada Palma, on their side, allowed the United States to present itself as a “pacification” force.

But a different reality was imposed: the naval blockade impacted, much more than the Spanish forces, the population, which beyond the exhaustion produced by the war, was now crowded into the city, while U.S. troops used Cubans to do the brunt of the fighting, only to later replace them.

On the coasts of Guantánamo and Santiago de Cuba alone, more than 16,000 men landed, which along with the bombing of the city, the refusal to recognize the Liberation Army, and the military landing a few days later, completed the cycle that led to the first imperialist war in history, as Lenin described it.

One hundred and twenty years later, it is ironic to consider that a country like the United States, which shed so much blood to win its own independence and unification, that would launch a conflict of such magnitude in the name of peace, but with the actual intention of taking control of the coveted island, the gateway to the Gulf of Mexico, and at the same time extend its reach into Our America.

The United States forged ahead raising its flag, following the infamous Monroe Doctrine which appears to be regaining strength, ignoring the fact that times have changed, and that Fourth of July celebrations should today, more than ever, serve as an opportunity for reflection on sovereignty and peaceful accord among peoples.

(Granma)

This was noted by historian José Sánchez Guerra, during the “Theoretical Encounter: 120 Years of the Yankee Military Presence in Guantánamo,” held at the University of Medical Sciences of this territory; as part of which professors, social science researchers and university students discussed the damages caused as a result of the United States’ oldest overseas military base.

Sánchez added that Guantánamo residents have responded with a spirit of resistance accumulated over 120 years, which forms part of their identity.

The event saw the book launch of Guantánamo and American Empire: The Humanities Respond by its author, U.S. writer and professor Don. E. Walicek, who currently lives in Puerto Rico, and the editor Jessica Adams.

The text contains historiographical elements, interviews and academic essays that, from a Caribbean humanistic and cultural perspective, condemn the arbitrary methods of detention and torture employed at the prison located in the illegal military base.

Don. E. Walicek explained that the book is the result of four years of research, and also attempts to show the world that the province of Guantánamo is much more than just the naval base. At the same time, it highlights the international condemnation of the illegal occupation, as well as the just demand of the Cuban people for its return to the island.

Researcher Mario Montero Campello, meanwhile, referred to the impact of the military base on the surrounding environment. The United States occupies the deepest areas of the Bay of Caimanera, affecting also the flora and fauna of the area, as a result of continuous constructive extensions, and the systematic dumping of waste, which pollutes the surrounding area.

(Granma)