Deputy Director for U.S. Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alejandro García del Toro, confirmed to Cuban media outlet Granma that the meeting between the United States and Cuba, as reported by Axios and The New York Times, took place recently in Havana. However unlikely, the discussion may signal a potential diplomatic solution.
“This is a delicate matter which, as we have already said, we are handling discreetly,” Garcia del Toro told Granma. “But I can confirm that a meeting between Cuban and US delegations recently took place here in Cuba. The US delegation included Under Secretaries of State, and the Cuban delegation included representatives at the level of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.”
While the list demands described by the New York Times and the two-week deadline reported by USA Today read more like a hostage negotiation during a bank heist, suggesting the U.S. “will not tolerate” resistance to its demands. Garcia del Toro denied the claims of a tense standoff and focused on ending the U.S.-imposed oil blockade of Cuba.
“During the meeting, neither party set deadlines or made coercive statements, as reported by the US press,” said Garcia del Toro. “All information exchange was conducted with respect and professionalism. Eliminating the energy blockade against the country was a matter of top priority for our delegation. This act of economic coercion is an unjustified punishment for the entire Cuban population.”
The list of U.S. demands, as reported, includes:
- Bring Starlink satellite internet to the island and allow free connectivity
- Economic changes to attract foreign capital, grow the private sector, and transition to a market-based capitalist economy
- Compensation for Cuban Americans and corporations that had assets and properties confiscated after the Revolution
- The release of political prisoners
- Greater political freedoms
The U.S. delegation also allegedly expressed concerns about foreign intelligence groups working on the island, but all talk of Chinese or Russian spy bases has been thoroughly debunked for years. According to reports, U.S. demands fall well short of seeking the regime change that many Cuban American hardliners have sought for decades.
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