On Sunday, the Network of Cuban Residents in Latin America and the Caribbean urged that the US Naval Base and its jail in Guantanamo, where human rights are being abused, be closed.

The proclamation, titled "Guantanamo, the other blockade against Cuba," recalled how the facility, located in the eastern Cuban province of Guantanamo, was founded in 1903 under the Platt Amendment, which enabled the US to hold the island "in a submissive manner."

In this regard, the Network noted that, in addition to the unlawful occupation, a portion of the facility has been used as a jail since 2002, with human rights violations occurring regularly.

“119 years have passed and (the United States) continues to illegally occupy a territory that is ours, while Cuba has denounced for years the damages, the cruelty with which they have been caused, the illegality in perpetuating itself from our homeland and how international law enforcement agencies remain deaf,” the text emphasizes.

In addition to being a "dagger lodged in Cuba's back," the text says that Guantanamo is a country of magnificent landscapes and a strong cultural identity where men and women develop their lives in harmony with the environment, which is impacted by the military installation, which is a source of pollution.

The statement further notes that the Guantanamo detention camp, which opened 20 years ago on January 11, 2002, is one of the world's darkest places, with abuses of basic human rights and torture.

“From the Network of Cubans residing in Latin America and the Caribbean, we subscribe to our rejection of these practices and policies and ask for their review, including the definitive closure of the prison and the United States Naval Air Base in our country,” the Network says.