The ties to the Trump administration come as a nationwide blackout deepens following Washington’s oil embargo and Iran war.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has confirmed that officials in Havana are in talks with US President Donald Trump’s administration as the island faces a deepening power crisis and widespread blackouts.
The ties come amid mounting economic pressure on the Caribbean nation, with Cuban officials blaming US sanctions and curbs on energy supplies for slowing the country’s power output. The Iran conflict and the rise in global oil prices have further aggravated the situation. Crude oil briefly topped $110 a barrel this month, the highest level since the pandemic.
Speaking in a televised address Friday, Diaz-Canel said the connections “Aims to find solutions through dialogue.” He did not specify when and where the talks were taking place, nor which officials were involved.
The announcement marks the first time in more than a decade that Havana has publicly agreed to formal talks with Washington. It follows weeks of power outages, fuel shortages and mounting public anger after Venezuela’s oil shipments were halted after the US impeached President Nicolas Maduro, and Washington stepped up efforts to block other suppliers. Trump has been making threats over and over again “Total Oil Blockade” Cuba and countries that sell crude oil to the island could face tariffs, it warned.
No petroleum shipments have reached the island in the past three months, Diaz-Canel said, leaving tens of thousands of people, including children, unable to undergo surgery because of the blockade.
Last week, Trump said Cuba “Will fall soon.” He previously suggested that the US might undertake one “Friendly Possession of Cuba” But it also added that it might not be friendly.
Diaz-Canel said Havana is entering the conversation “Without abandoning our principles or sovereignty” And while acknowledging that Cuba is facing the worst economic and energy crisis in its recent history, it has denied that his government is on the verge of collapse.
The Cuban government has blamed its economic woes on decades of US sanctions, which it says have strangled growth and limited access to global markets. To cover its energy needs, Havana relies heavily on oil deliveries from Mexico, Russia and Venezuela.
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