HAVANA (AP) — Cuba reported Friday that it was notified by Washington of the arrival of a nuclear-powered submarine at the US Naval Base in Guantánamo, but the Cuban vice foreign minister indicated that they were displeased by the uninvited presence of said vessel.
The arrival of the USS Helena of the North American Navy occurred on Thursday, a day after a Russian fleet composed of a frigate, a submersible and two logistical support ships also docked on the island, but in Havana.
“We were aware of its presence, because in accordance with procedures that we have followed for years, the United States informed us in advance” about the presence of the USS Helena, Vice Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossio stated in comments to the official Cubadebate portal.
“But obviously we do not like the presence in our territory and transiting through our waters of a means of that nature (the North American submarine), belonging to a power that maintains an official and practical policy that is hostile against Cuba,” Cossio added.
The United States has maintained its Naval Base in Guantánamo, about 1,000 kilometers east of the capital on the island’s territory since the beginning of the last century, but Cuba has always rejected the presence of the military fort.
For its part, the United States Southern Command indicated on its social networks that the USS Helena, a fast attack submarine, arrived in waters on a “routine” visit.
US officials indicated that their country’s Navy was closely monitoring the movements of the Russian fleet in the Atlantic and the Caribbean.
On Wednesday, the Russian ships “Gorshkov”, a frigate, the nuclear-powered submarine “Kazan” and two support ships, the oil tanker “Pashin” and the rescue tug “Nikolai Chiker” arrived in Havana Bay. They will remain on the island until June 17.
The Russian fleet anchored in the Caribbean nation after military training maneuvers in the Atlantic, said the Ministry of Defense of the Eurasian nation, and were warmly greeted by their Cuban counterparts even with the firing of 21 cannon salutes upon their arrival.
On Friday afternoon, the Royal Canadian Navy ship “Margaret Brooke” joined the Port of Havana, which was also welcomed by local authorities.
Both Russia and Cuba suffer strong sanctions from Washington and in recent years have become political and economic allies.
