Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples has launched a campaign against the U.S. military presence in Guantanamo and foreign bases worldwide, calling for global solidarity to defend sovereignty and peace.

The Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP, in Spanish) has launched a campaign titled “Journey against the U.S. military presence in Guantanamo and in rejection of U.S. and NATO Foreign Military Bases.”

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Running from February 16 to 23, 2026, this initiative aims to denounce the illegality of the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo and the severe Human Rights violations occurring within its detention center, while also highlighting the detrimental impact of foreign military bases globally.

This campaign comes at a critical juncture, considering the serious threats that the current White House administration has reportedly leveled against peace in the region, particularly targeting Cuba.

The initiative proposes a comprehensive effort to expose the enduring illegality of the U.S. naval base situated on Cuban territory in Guantanamo, which occupation -dating back over a century- remains a contentious issue in Cuba-U.S. relations, seen as a direct affront to its national sovereignty and international law.

Beyond its illegal status, the campaign specifically targets the detention center hosted within this military enclave, where numerous reports have documented grave violations of Human Rights and international humanitarian law against detainees, many held indefinitely without any trial.

Furthermore, the campaign seeks to cast a wider spotlight on the negative implications for the sovereignty and self-determination of peoples in countries worldwide that host the more than 800 U.S. military bases and those affiliated with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

These foreign military installations are often perceived as instruments of geopolitical influence and intervention, frequently raising concerns about environmental damage, social disruptions, and the erosion of national autonomy in host nations.

The Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples emphasizes that such an extensive network of bases serves to project military power globally, often at the expense of regional stability and the sovereign rights of independent states.

In this sense, it explicitly calls upon all organizations engaged in solidarity with Cuba, advocates for peace, jurists, academics, and journalists who are concerned about this sensitive issue to actively voice their rejection of the illegal U.S. occupation in Guantanamo. It also is extended to encouraging participants to connect this particular cause with other similar struggles in their respective territories, fostering a broader international movement against foreign military bases and for the respect of national sovereignty.

The initiative aims to build a global coalition that collectively challenges the rationale and impact of extensive military deployments across borders, advocating instead for peaceful coexistence and respect for international law, under the principles of self-determination and non-interference in internal affairs.

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