Guantanamo Bay detention camp
The Guantanamo Bay detention camp (Spanish: Centro de detención de la bahía de Guantánamo) is a United States military prison within the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, also referred to as Gitmo (/ˈɡɪtmoʊ/ GIT-moh), on the coast of Guantánamo Bay in Cuba. As of April 2023, of the 779 people detained there since January 2002 when the military prison first opened after the September 11 attacks, 740 had been transferred elsewhere, 30 remained there, and nine had died while in custody.
| Location | Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 19°54′03″N 75°05′59″W |
| Status | Operational |
| Population | 30 (as of April 2023) |
| Opened | January 11, 2002 |
| Managed by | United States Navy |
The camp was established by U.S. President George W. Bush's administration in 2002 during the War on Terror following the September 11, 2001 attacks. Indefinite detention without trial led the operations of this camp to be considered a major breach of human rights by Amnesty International, and a violation of the Due Process Clause of the Fifth and Fourteenth amendments of the United States Constitution by the Center for Constitutional Rights. There are also testimonies of abuse and torture of prisoners.
Bush's successor, U.S. President Barack Obama, promised that he would close the camp in 2010, but met strong bipartisan opposition from the U.S. Congress, which passed laws to prohibit detainees from Guantanamo being transferred to the United States for any reason, including imprisonment or medical care. During the Obama administration, the number of inmates was reduced from about 250 to 41.
In January 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to keep the detention camp open indefinitely. In May 2018, the Trump administration repatriated a prisoner to Saudi Arabia.
In early February 2021, U.S. President Joe Biden declared his intention to close the facility before he leaves office, though the Biden administration has taken few steps in that direction. Instead, the Department of Defense has continued several million dollars of expansions to military commissions and other Guantanamo Bay facilities, including a second courtroom. The Biden administration has released 10 detainees from Guantanamo. As of April 2023, the facility has 30 detainees.