Cuba "Ready for Dialogue" with the United States but "Without Pressure"

SadaNews - On Thursday evening, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel confirmed that his country is "ready for dialogue" with the United States, but "without pressure" from Washington, which has intensified its threats against the communist island.

During a press conference broadcast by the national television, he stated, "Cuba is ready for dialogue with the United States, for a dialogue that addresses any topic we wish to discuss. What are the conditions? Without pressure, and without preconditions." He added that any discussions must occur "on equal terms, with respect for our sovereignty, independence, and our right to self-determination," and without "interference in our internal affairs."

In recent months, US President Donald Trump has issued repeated threats against Cuba, governed by a communist regime, promising to cut off its oil supplies and warning that the island is "on the verge of collapse." Cuba is suffering from an economic crisis and had long relied on oil supplies from Venezuela until the US military ousted its socialist president Nicolas Maduro last month.

Since then, the US president has claimed that his country controls Venezuelan oil, threatening to cut supplies to Cuba and imposing tariffs on any country that attempts to assist it. These pressure tactics threaten to plunge Cuba into darkness, as its power plants struggle to provide electricity due to fuel shortages.

Earlier on Thursday, power was cut to hundreds of thousands of people in the eastern part of the country for hours due to a network malfunction.

Diaz-Canel affirmed that Cuba still has undisclosed friends, as it faces what he described as a "severe fuel shortage." He said, "We cannot publicly explain everything we are doing, but Cuba is not alone."

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated this week that her country is using all available diplomatic channels to ensure the resumption of crude oil shipments to Cuba, but would not risk US punitive tariffs.

Diaz-Canel pointed out that the pressures Cuba is under have highlighted the importance of seeking more environmentally friendly energy and reducing reliance on others.

An analysis conducted by the Agence France-Presse of recently released official data showed that the island generated half of its electricity needs last year. Havana attributes this to the tightened US sanctions, which also affect food and medicine.

However, poor management of the country’s economy and the collapse of tourism following the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to the increasing suffering of the island's residents. Trump has repeatedly stated that he wants to "make a deal" with the Cuban leadership, without clarifying what that entails.