Guantanamo is home to the rock iguana, an endangered species that grows over 4 feet long. These guys run around like tiny dinosaurs, stealing food from Marines.
In 2005, a photographer snapped a picture of a iguana sitting on a “Do Not Enter” sign outside the prison. The caption read: “Iguana has more freedom than detainees.” Dark. But also, true.
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base Map | Discover Guantanamo Bay with Detailed Maps
And get this: the iguanas are protected by federal law. You can’t kill one, even if it eats your sandwich. So far, the iguanas are winning.
The Surreal Stalemate
Cuba wants the base back. The U.S. says, “Nah, we’re good.” Cuba refuses to accept the rent checks. The U.S. puts the $4,000 into an escrow account that now has over $200,000 growing dust.
The U.S. even built a golf course on the base. It has six holes and is called the “Windmills of the Mind” course. Nothing says “we’re here forever” like a golf course in a communist country.
And the prison? Politicians on both sides call it a black mark. But closing it is like trying to put a wayward cat back in a bag—technically possible, but nobody wants to get scratched.
