Cuba Open to U.S. Dialogue but Rejects Pressure

Cuba has declared itself open to dialogue with the United States, provided it is conducted without pressure, coercion, or preconditions—and on equal footing, respecting Cuba’s national sovereignty. President Miguel Díaz-Canel emphasized during a nationally televised press conference that any talks must uphold Cuba’s independence, self-determination, and non-interference in internal affairs. The statement comes amid escalating U.S. economic pressure: following Venezuela’s halted oil shipments to Cuba after President Nicolás Maduro’s detention in early January, former U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order last week authorizing tariffs on countries exporting oil to Havana. Washington justified the move by citing a purported threat to U.S. national security from the Caribbean island—just 150 km from Florida. In response, Havana accused Trump of attempting to strangle its economy, already crippled by daily blackouts and worsening fuel shortages. Eastern Cuba—including Santiago de Cuba, the nation’s second-largest city—suffered a major power grid failure last night, though electricity was restored overnight. Trump stated on Sunday that the U.S. has initiated talks with Cuban authorities and expects ‘an agreement’ with the communist island.