Cuban President Díaz Canel confirmed this morning that the U.S. and Cuban governments are engaging in formal negotiations aimed at stemming the recent escalation of tensions between Washington and Havana.
“Cuban officials recently held talks with U.S. government representatives to seek potential solutions to the bilateral differences that exist between the two countries,” Díaz-Canel told reporters in a televised address.
His comments follow months of speculation about secret negotiations between Washington and Havana as the United States implements a comprehensive oil blockade on Cuba to force change in its political system.
The Cuban government refused until this morning to acknowledge the existence of official talks with the U.S. government. Díaz-Canel noted that the revolutionary government is particularly averse to “speculating” about “sensitive” diplomatic processes.
However, the United States has previously mentioned talks with Havana but did not give any guarantees about a diplomatic resolution of the tensions between the two countries. US President Donald Trump has indicated that both ‘friendly’ and ‘unfriendly’ options remain on the table regarding the Cuba deal.
The U.S. leader did not specify what these options would entail, but a “friendly” deal would likely mean some kind of economic agreement in which the Cuban government would liberalize its economy in exchange for an end to U.S. sanctions. An ‘unfriendly’ deal could include regime change by military force, a method the Trump administration used in Venezuela and Iran.
The breadth and full agenda of the talks is not yet known, but Díaz-Canel said they agreed to include the Cuban diaspora, which is mainly concentrated in the United States, into Cuba’s economic life.
Díaz-Canel’s approval of the meeting came after the Cuban government announced the release of prisoners late Thursday. The Cuban government has hinted that the release was the result of talks with the Vatican, but its proximity to today’s statement may suggest that Havana is willing to make political concessions to find a diplomatic solution with the United States.
The United States has reportedly proposed a deal with Cuba that would allow the Cuban leadership to pursue a peaceful political exit strategy, but Díaz-Canel has given no indication that a fundamental political change in Cuba is imminent.
Instead, he said the current negotiations were taking place with the explicit consent and instructions of Raúl Castro, “military commander” and “historic leader of our revolution.” Diaz-Canel also added that the negotiations would be based on “equality” and mutual respect for “the political systems, sovereignty and self-determination of both countries.”
A Cuban Foreign Ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in response to the announcement, said: Latin America Report: “Our willingness to dialogue with the United States has always been there.”
But they reiterated the Cuban president’s remarks, adding, “We must resolve our differences through respectful dialogue between equal people who respect their sovereignty.”
But while negotiations are ongoing, the United States is continuing its maximum pressure campaign.
Díaz-Canel also said in his speech today that not a single oil tanker has arrived in Cuba in three months, citing the US-sanctioned “energy blockade” as the biggest crisis currently facing the country.
A Russian tanker carrying 200,000 barrels of oil recently diverted from the island under suspected pressure from the United States. Venezuela, Cuba’s closest regional ally and major oil supplier, has also had its energy supplies cut off by the United States.
With Cuba’s economic and humanitarian infrastructure collapsing due to the U.S. blockade, hope for a peacefully negotiated solution remains.
Featured Image: Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel
Image source: Russian Duma via Wikimedia Commons
patent: Creative Commons License
