The Heat: The future of Guantanamo Bay and Cuban sovereignty

The Heat

The Heat: The future of Guantanamo Bay and Cuban sovereignty

The move to normalize relations between Cuba and the U.S. is not without hurdles.
Cubans are demanding the return of the land currently occupied by the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station. How did the U.S. end up on Cuban soil in the first place?

READ MORE: What you didn’t know about Gitmo – U.S. Guantanamo Naval Base, Cuba

About $4,000 – that’s the annual rent the United States pays Cuba to lease the land housing the Guantanamo Bay naval base. The U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba has been the subject of fierce debate since it opened in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. But the controversial Naval Station has been hotly contested longer than that – more than 100 years. The U.S. holds a permanent lease and Cuba wants it to stop. For the view from Havana, CCTV’s Michael Voss joined The Heat.

Follow Michael Voss on Twitter @mvosscuba

To discuss Guantanamo Bay and the fight for Cuban sovereignty:

The Naval Station is well known for its prison– a prison that houses suspected terrorists awaiting trial. U.S. President Barack Obama promised to close the facility after his election in 2008. It remains open today. To explore the future of Guantanamo Bay:

  • Carlos Iglesias is a Cuban journalist.
  • Carlos Warner is a federal defense attorney who has defended Guantanamo Bay prisoners.
  • J.D. Gordon is a former Pentagon spokesman and retired Navy commander.