Fidel wants U.S. out of Guantanamo

31 Jan, 2009 00:18 / Updated 12 years ago

Cuba's former leader, Fidel Castro, is demanding that Washington return control of the Guantanamo Bay military base to his country, charging that the U.S. is acting illegally by being there.

The former leader has written an essay in which he states that if the U.S. does not return the base, it would be an abuse of power against a small country and a violation of international law.The article comes one week after Castro described Barack Obama as an “intelligent and noble” person.Obama has ordered the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp where prisoners from Iraq and Afghanistan have been held for years without being formally charged.The base was acquired by the U.S. more than one hundred years ago. However, it is the only military base located in a country where Washington has no diplomatic relations.