HAVANA, July 11 (Reuters) - Cuban authorities on Tuesday said the U.S. recently had a nuclear-powered submarine at its military base at Guantanamo Bay and called the action a "provocative escalation" of tensions weeks after Washington alleged that there was a Chinese spy base on the island.
Washington did not confirm that there was a submarine at the naval base.
It said Cuba was looking to distract from the two-year anniversary of largest street protests seen in Cuba since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution.
Critics have said the Guantanamo Bay prison has been used for arbitrary detention and torture of people suspected of terrorism.
In June, Havana and Beijing rejected reports citing U.S. officials alleging that China was using Cuba as a spy base.
Persons:
Washington, Fidel Castro's, William LeoGrande, Critics, Nelson Acosta, Sarah Morland, Matt Spetalnick, David Gregorio Our
Organizations:
Washington, U.S . State Department, State Department, House, U.S . Department of Defense, Washington's American University, Reuters, United, Thomson
Locations:
HAVANA, U.S, Guantanamo, Chinese, Cuba, Cuban, China, Washington, Havana, Beijing, United States, Caribbean