Cuba, struggling with a severe oil shortage, has started direct talks with the United States to address longstanding disputes, President Miguel Díaz‑Canel announced on Friday.
His remarks, broadcast nationwide, marked the first official confirmation of negotiations between Havana and the Trump administration, reports Los Angeles Times.
The US and Cuba have been adversaries for nearly seven decades, dating back to Fidel Castro’s overthrow of US-backed leader Fulgencio Batista.
In recent months, Washington has intensified pressure on Cuba’s communist government, restricting oil supplies and even hinting at possible military action. US President Donald Trump warned this week, “It may be a friendly takeover, it may not be.”
Analysts say Cuba’s worsening energy crisis, marked by blackouts and shortages of food, medicine, and fuel, has left the government with little choice but to negotiate. Economist Ricardo Torres said, “The country is barely surviving. Cuba doesn’t have a choice. It has to talk.”
What Washington hopes to achieve remains unclear. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have demanded change in Cuba but have not specified whether they seek economic reform, political transition, or both. Díaz‑Canel, however, said that Cuba’s political system is not up for debate, insisting talks must respect sovereignty and self‑determination.
In contrast to his usual sharp criticism of US “imperialism” and the decades‑long embargo, Díaz‑Canel struck a conciliatory tone, saying the goal is to identify bilateral problems and find solutions.
For Trump, the core issue is Cuba’s entrenched communist bureaucracy, while Cuban officials blame the US trade embargo for the island’s economic struggles. The talks mark the most significant engagement since then president Obama’s efforts to normalise relations, which included reopening the US Embassy in Havana and easing restrictions. Trump later reversed most of those measures, reviving Cold War‑style tensions.
The announcement comes shortly after US military action in Iran and two months after Trump’s forces ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a close Cuban ally. Analysts speculate Trump may pursue a similar strategy in Cuba allowing its political system to remain largely intact while pressing for economic liberalisation.
