White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki confirmed the intention of the American administration to close the special prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, but the issue continues to be discussed by various departments, writes Politico.
“This is definitely our goal and intention. We are still in the process of studying the question of how this should work in the framework of interaction between departments … Many departments are participating in the discussion of these steps, “said a White House spokesman at a briefing on Friday, February 12.
Earlier that day, Reuters, citing two sources, reported that the administration of US President Joe Biden had begun considering the future of the special prison at Guantanamo Bay, and an official document on its fate could be signed in the coming weeks or months.
In January 2017, the previous President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced his decision to reverse the order of his predecessor Barack Obama to close the facility.
The special prison is located at a naval base rented by the Americans since 1903 in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 15 km from the city of the same name. In the 1990s, there was a filtration camp for refugees from Cuba and Haiti trying to move to the United States. The decision to create a special prison on the territory of the Navy base was made by the Pentagon as part of the anti-terrorist program of the administration of President George W. Bush.
At the end of November, the US Department of Defense decided to temporarily abandon plans to vaccinate against COVID-19 prisoners in a special prison at Guantanamo Bay.