Guantanamo Bay Naval Base area surrounding Guantanamo bay was originally inhabited by the Taíno people. On 30 April 1494, Christopher Columbus, on his second voyage, arrived and spent the night. The place where Columbus landed is now known as Fisherman's Point. Columbus declared the bay "Puerto Grande". The bay and surrounding areas came under British control during the War of Jenkins' Ear. Prior to British occupation, the bay was referred to as "Walthenham Harbor". The British renamed the bay "Cumberland Bay". The British retreated from the area after a failed attempt to march to Santiago de Cuba. During the Spanish–American War, the U.S. fleet
Mail privileges of Guantanamo Bay detainees Mail privileges of Guantanamo Bay detainees There have been mixed reports of the limits on Guantanamo detainees' mail privileges. On July 23, 2002 Master Sergeant Debra A. Tart gave an interview to the "American Forces Press Service" about the detainees' mail privileges. The report asserts that the detainees were all offered an opportunity to send a postcard to their family, shortly after their arrival, telling their family where they were. Many of the detainees' families have reported they didn't learn the detainee was in Guantanamo until 2006, when the Department of Defense was forced to publish a list of all