Summary
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel announced on February 5 that his government is willing to engage in dialogue with the United States, emphasizing a desire for equal terms and no pressure. This statement followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of tariffs targeting Cuba in January, exacerbating fuel shortages on the island. The Cuban bishops had previously called for urgent structural changes to prevent deepening crisis in January. Díaz-Canel stated that any dialogue should be devoid of preconditions or offensive issues related to internal affairs and sovereignty. On February 4, Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío indicated that Cuba would not discuss its constitutional system with the U.S. amid ongoing fuel shortages caused by Venezuela’s reduced oil shipments, which have contributed to power outages, medicine and food scarcity, and frequent repression of dissent. The Cuban government has been in dialogue continuity since October 2019 under Díaz-Canel’s presidency, succeeding Raúl Castro who took control in 1959.
Key Topics
Cuba, Trump, Dialogue
