78-12-B3
- Main Page \ Reagan Radio Commentaries \ 1978
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Guantanamo[edit]
Transcript[edit]When the Panama Canal giveaway was ratified by the Senate, some of us suggested it might be the first of other dominoes to fall. I'll be right back. Since Spanish-American War days, in the freeing of Cuba the United States has maintained a naval base on the island of Cuba at Guantanamo Bay. There's nothing Imperialistic about this nor does it infringe on Cuban sovereignty the way some Panamanians thought our canal across Panama did. The Guantanamo base is on Cuban territory leased by us, the lease to run in perpetuity. I won't get into the strategic importance of this base other than to point out its location off the entrance to the Panama Canal and the added range it gives us in securing the South Atlantic sea lanes. It was key to the Monroe Doctrine, back when we enforced the Monroe Doctrine. During the long debate over the Panama Canal treaties, many opponents of those treaties, particularly men with great experience in naval strategy, pointed to the obvious close relationship between Castro and Panama's dictator General Torrijos. Predictions were made that the canal, if given up, would only be the first of several dominoes and the next could very well be the Guantanamo Naval Base. This, of course, was passed off by the State Department as having no real basis in fact and we were assured that we were buying the gratitude and friendship of the Panamanians with our magnanimous gesture. Well the treaties have been ratified and recently Castro ordered a week-long celebration of the revolution by which he sees the reins of government in Cuba. We could also add that he has made Cuba a satellite of the Soviet Union. In his speeches during the celebration, he brought up Guantanamo, using all the phrases which were used so often by the advocates of the canal treaties. The base was an affront to Cuban sovereignty, it was colonialism, imperialism and, of course, he wasn't going to stand for its continued presence. Right on cue, those new friends we'd supposedly made in Panama were redefining Panama's foreign policy in a 14 page document. Foreign Minister Nicholas Gonzalez Rivia observed that the centerpiece of Panama's foreign policy had been the canal. Now that agreement has been reached on that, they can lay the groundwork for future foreign policy. Their groundwork covered quite a bit of ground. for example the Torrijo's government is calling for Israel to yield all occupied Arab lands. Closer to home, they want self-determination for Puerto Rico, never mind that Puerto Rico has that already, and more tha 90% of their citizens want to stay right where they are very close to Uncle Sam. Finally Panama's new foreign policy called for the United States to give up its naval base on Guantanamo Bay. Now, will it be a surprising coincidence if some of our State Department types suddenly discover that we don't need that naval base and giving it away will win the friendship of Castro. This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening. |
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