Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel confirmed on Friday that the Cuban government held talks with the United States, marking the first time the Caribbean island has publicly acknowledged reported discussions.
“These conversations have been aimed at seeking solutions, through dialogue, to bilateral differences that exist between the two nations,” Díaz-Canel said, according to a media note posted on social media by Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla. “There are international factors that have facilitated these exchanges.”
Diaz-Canel’s announcement confirms surfaced speculation of the two countries meeting, which arose following President Donald Trump’s threat of a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, adding that the communist-led nation was in “deep trouble.”
During a press conference on Mar. 13, Diaz-Canel assured that the talks “are processes that are done with great discretion, they are long processes."
"You have to first establish contact…. There needs to be [a] willingness for dialogue, and all of that takes time. And after that, agendas are built, you enter negotiations and conversations, and you reach an agreement. These are things we are still far from,” he expressed, emphasizing the current meetings’ infancy stage.
The Caribbean Island is facing an increasingly turbulent economic crisis, amid a U.S.-imposed oil blockade placed in January. The blockade was placed following the U.S. military operation in Venezuela on Jan. 3 that led to the capture of former dictator Nicolas Maduro, whose government served as an ally and provided oil to Cuba.
The Cuban leader acknowledged the situation in his country due to the fuel shortages, revealing that energy shipments have not gone to the island since December. Diaz-Canel additionally recognized the massive electricity blackout that occurred last week, which has left millions without power and has affected water pumping.
Diaz-Canel affirmed the Cuban government’s willingness to proceed with talks with the U.S. "on the basis of equality and respect for both countries' political systems, sovereignty and self-determination of our governments."
