By Martha Reyes
Translation: Osmagly  Herrera

On February 16th 1903 the agreement giving Guantanamo Bay to the United States of America was signed as result of the Platt Amendment, that stipulated the transfer of three places.

According to the agreement, the future government of Cuba would give the Yankees Honda, Cienfuegos and Guantanamo bays, to be used as naval bases or bunkers.

The historians Jose Sanchez Guerra and Wilfredo Campos Creme, analyze the event in the book Guantanamo’s Battle and affirm: “the Americans needed a center for maritime operations.

For such effect, the Americans sent engineering forces to store coal reserve, weapons, munitions, food and medicine in the Bay”.

An unknown historical data reveals that during the Spanish- Cuban- American war, a direct communication between Playa del Este, south of the western region, the offices of the White House, and Guantanamo, was possible.

According to the studies of Sanchez Guerra and Campos Creme, that was how the American government knew of the Cuban-American’s victory against Spain, although, the main figures of the Liberator Army did not go to the ceremony.

For his proximity to Santiago de Cuba and being a military provision enclave under American command Guantanamo   played an important roll in the naval operations developed in the Caribbean Sea, point out the two authors.

Guantanamo’s  people and all Cuban population do not forget February 16th of 1903, when  the young and inexpert  Cuban Republic propitiated the Americans  the  possibility of the continuous Yankees presence in the Naval Base,  against Cubans will.