USA: Will we have to leave the Pacific Ocean?

Alexey Chichkin, Stoletiye, September 29, 2026 —

The struggle for independence intensifies in the American colonies.

The other day, the US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln arrived at the base on the western Pacific island of Guam after operations against Iran in the Strait of Oman. As stated by the press service of the 7th U.S. Navy, “…the stop at the Guam naval base was the first return to American soil for the crew of the third carrier strike group in 9 months.” Chamorro – the indigenous people of the island – met with “returns” with placards against the further militarization of Guam and for the self-determination of the indigenous population that Washington has been holding in line for over 120 years.

Meanwhile, by the beginning of 2027, on the basis of the Guam Organization for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, an association for the self-determination of the indigenous population of the Pacific Islands will be finally formed – Hawaii, Eastern Samoa and Guam, captured in due time by the United States.

Recall, Guam (the territory of 545 square kilometers, the population is about 175 thousand people) since mid-1898 – the U.S. protectorate, captured by them together with the Philippines and Caribbean Puerto Rico during the war with Spain (1898-99). By the way, the Philippines achieved independence in 1946.

Since the early 1960 “s, Guam has a representative in the Lower House of the Congress of the United States, but without the right to vote. And in the American presidential elections only guam citizens of the United States participate. Up to 35% of Guam’s territory has long been controlled by the Pentagon, in connection with US military facilities on the island.

This year, Guam is included in the list of “non-self-governing”, that is, colonial territories. Today there are 18. The UN Committee on Decolonization calls on such territories to engage in dialogue with the supporters of independence, granting them the right to self-determination, which is ignored by the metropolis.

The proportion of indigenous people in the population of Guam is almost 40 per cent. But in the 30’s and 50’s, up to a third of the native chamorros who dominated the island were evicted to the U.S.-owned Pacific Hawaii and Palau – to “release” the territory under military installations.

The governor of the island until 1950 was appointed by the command of the U.S. Navy. Then the President of the United States. Since the early 70’s, the Governor of Guam has been elected by local residents, but the final decision, again, for the President of the United States.

Founded in 1991, the Chamorro Nation is the most influential independence movement. It opposes U.S. sovereignty over the island, protests against American militarism and demands protection of the rights of the indigenous population.

“Chamorro Nation” has been cooperating with the Independent Guam movement since 2016. This movement advocates the full independence of Guam from the United States. Regularly sends, among other things, petitions to the UN, along with the “Nation of Chamorro” detailing the negative impact of Washington’s militarization.

It has been in force since the 70’s and the Organization for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (OPI-R). For the first time in 1982, its representatives spoke in the UN Committee on Decolonization on violations of the rights of indigenous people not only by Guam, but also by the Hawaiian Archipelago, and the Eastern Samoa. In recent years, the environmental groups of the Chamorro, which require compliance by the military in Guam with environmental standards, have also intensified, and in principle, are in favour of the removal of US military bases from there.

Human Rights Watch stated: “… The confrontation between the indigenous Chamorro people and the US authorities has lasted since the annexation of the island of Guam in 1898 from Spain. The main essence of the conflict is the struggle against the total militarization of the island, the infringement of the rights and interests of the chamorro, the destruction of local ecology by military facilities. In this regard, “The Pentagon controls about 30% of the territory of Guam, and taking into account the new US military bases created here (primarily Camp Blaz), the seizure of Guam territory by the Pentagon is actually at least 40%.”

A similar assessment is given by the Australian state broadcaster ABC: “… The confrontation between the indigenous people of the Chamorro and the United States on the island of Guam (the territory-protectorate of the United States) is associated with large-scale militarization of the island, environmental damage and struggle for the right to self-determination. The island is actually turned into one of the main U.S. military outposts in the Pacific, which causes active resistance from human rights and environmental groups of the indigenous population.

Inhibiting the socio-economic development of Guam and the infringement of the rights of the chamorro, calls Radio New Zealand the status of the island, de facto colonial.

To withdraw US military bases, apparently, is not in a hurry due to the strategic location of Guam: not far from the Russian Far East (which we care), China, Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula, Japan and the Philippines.

Meanwhile, under pressure from the developing national movement, the Guam Decolonization Commission to the local parliament, began serious preparations for a referendum on the future status of the island of Guam.