How did we get a base on Cuba?

Question

I have known of its existence as long as I can remember, but I am unclear as to how we obtained the base. I doubt Castro just said here, take this spot and make yourselves comfortable.

Answer 1

We won the Spanish American war.

Answer 2

A perpetual lease for the area around Guantánamo Bay was offered February 23, 1903, from Tomás Estrada Palma, an American citizen, who became the first President of Cuba. The Cuban-American Treaty gave, among other things, the Republic of Cuba ultimate sovereignty over Guantánamo Bay while granting the United States "complete jurisdiction and control" of the area for coaling and naval stations.

A 1934 treaty reaffirming the lease granted Cuba and her trading partners free access through the bay, modified the lease payment from $2,000 in U.S. gold coins per year, to the 1934 equivalent value of $4,085 in U.S. dollars, and made the lease permanent unless both governments agreed to break it or the U.S. abandoned the base property.

The U.S. control of this Cuban territory has never been popular with successive Cuban governments. The present government denounces the lease ensuring U.S. control, pointing to article 52 of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties which declares a treaty void if its conclusion has been procured by the threat or use of force — in this case by the inclusion, in 1901, of the Platt Amendment in the first Cuban Constitution. The United States warned the Cuban Constitutional Convention not to remove the Amendment, and stated U.S. troops would not leave Cuba until its terms had been adopted as a condition for the U.S. to grant independence. The Platt Amendment was dissolved in 1934, and the treaty re-affirming the lease to the base was signed after Franklin D. Roosevelt had issued 29 US warships to Cuba and Key West to protect U.S. interests following a military coup.[8]

Since coming to power in 1959, Cuban president Fidel Castro has refused to cash all but the very first rent cheque in protest. But the United States argues that its cashing signifies Havana's ratification of the lease — and that ratification by the new government renders moot any questions about violations of sovereignty and illegal military occupation.

Answer 3

The United States controls the land on both sides of the southern part of Guantánamo Bay (Bahía de Guantánamo in Spanish) under a lease set up in the wake of the 1898 Spanish-American War. The Cuban government denounces the lease on grounds that article 52 of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties voids treaties procured by force or its threatened use.
During the Spanish-American War, the U.S. fleet attacking Santiago retreated to Guantánamo's excellent harbor to ride out the summer hurricane season of 1898. The Marines landed with naval support, but required Cuban scouts to push off Spanish resistance that increased as they moved inland. This area became the location of U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, which covers about 45 square miles (116 km²) and is sometimes abbreviated as GTMO or "Gitmo".


by war's end, the U.S. government had obtained control of all of Cuba from Spain. A perpetual lease for the area around Guantánamo Bay was offered February 23, 1903, from Tomás Estrada Palma, an American citizen, who became the first President of Cuba. The Cuban-American Treaty gave, among other things, the Republic of Cuba ultimate sovereignty over Guantánamo Bay while granting the United States "complete jurisdiction and control" of the area for coaling and naval stations.

A 1934 treaty reaffirming the lease granted Cuba and her trading partners free access through the bay, modified the lease payment from $2,000 in U.S. gold coins per year, to the 1934 equivalent value of $4,085 in U.S. dollars, and made the lease permanent unless both governments agreed to break it or the U.S. abandoned the base property.

Answer 4

Refer to the Spanish American war. We fought the spanish in Cuba and won Cuba as a territory after the war. The US signed a lease for Gitmo. Long before Castro was a glimmer in his pappy's eye.

Answer 5

The base in Cuba was occupied by the Americans after the Spanish-American War in the 1800s and never relinquished it until today.

Answer 6

We don't own that base in Gitmo. Believe it or not, we actually lease the land from the Cuban government. Since we have an embargo against Cuba, the money actually goes to a swiss escrow account. I imagine that one day, after Fidel finally dies, the money will be returned to the Cuban government. But with Bush & Co, one never knows.

Answer 7

It happened way before Castro, Teddy Roosevelt and the rough riders whiped Cuba's butt in the late 1800's and we took the land as part of the spoils.

Answer 8

We booted the Spanish off the island back in about 1900's. We established a base and leased the lands from the Cuban government.

Answer 9

US obtained Cuba with the Spanish-American War circa 1898. After letting it go independent, we retained the base.

Answer 10

I believe it was U.S. controlled territory long before Castro came to power