The Costa Rica News (TCRN) – The United States ruled on Thursday that they will not return control of Guantanamo Bay to Cuba, while acknowledging that the normalization of relations with Havana will take longer than restoring embassies.
“President Barack Obama really thinks Guantanamo’s prison should be closed. But the naval base is not something we want to close,” said Josh Earnest, White House spokesman.
The territory, under US control since 1903, includes a major naval base and a controversial military detention center, which was used to hold terrorism suspects just four months after the attacks of September 11, 2001.
In the framework of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Summit, held in Costa Rica on Wednesday and Thursday this week, Cuban President Raul Castro said that the return of the occupied territory is one of the conditions for the full restoration of relations with Washington. (Amelia Rueda)
The Costa Rica News (TCRN)
San Jose, Costa Rica
