An announcement published on Wednesday states that the U.S. Navy will spend $240 million to construct new buildings and repair existing ones at its base at Guantanamo Bay. The work will be done over the next five years and up to five companies will be selected to carry it out. The work does not include any improvements to the detention centre, which is located on the Navy base but is provided for in a separate budget. One of the five companies, Munilla Construction Management LLC of Miami, will be paid $63 million to build a school for the children of military and civilians working on the island.

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In the meantime, 779 prisoners have been jailed at Guantanamo since it opened after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Of those, 689 have been released or transferred and nine have died, while 80 are still held, without recognized charges or trials. For Cuba, the normalization of ties would have to take into account closing down the U.S. Navy base.