Cuba is ready for “meaningful” dialogue with the United States but it’s not prepared to talk about altering its authorities, the Cuban deputy overseas minister instructed NCS on Wednesday, in feedback that come as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on the island with talk of regime change.
“We’re not ready to discuss our constitutional system as we suppose the US is not ready to discuss their constitutional system, their political system, their economic reality,” Carlos Fernández de Cossío stated.
He stated the nations have not but established “a bilateral dialogue” but they’ve had “some exchanges of messages” that had been “linked” to the very best ranges of Cuba’s authorities.
His remarks come days after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the US “would love to see” regime change in Cuba though it wouldn’t essentially act on it.
It additionally comes as the Trump administration has ramped up pressure on the Caribbean island by making an attempt to lower off oil deliveries there. The US has already disrupted its oil supplies from Venezuela after eradicating that nation’s president from energy.
Last week, it threatened tariffs on nations that export oil to Cuba, claiming that Havana is posing an “extraordinary threat” by aligning itself with “hostile countries and malign actors, (and) hosting their military and intelligence capabilities.”
De Cossío pushed again on the US rationale. “Cuba poses no threat to the United States. It is not aggressive against the United States. It’s not hostile. It doesn’t harbor terrorism, nor sponsors terrorism,” he stated.
He urged the US to ease its pressure marketing campaign, which he says has already harmed the nation.
Cubans have been dealing with fixed blackouts and lengthy strains at gasoline stations from a dwindling provide of gas. Cuban officers have stated present US financial sanctions are largely to blame for the nation’s ailing power sector, though critics additionally fault a scarcity of presidency funding in infrastructure.
De Cossío stated Cuba could have to take into account austerity measures and making unspecified sacrifices to preserve the gas provide, although he didn’t say how a lot it has left in its reserves.
“What Cuba suffers is equivalent to war in terms of economic coercive measures,” he stated.
US President Donald Trump has stated Cuba might keep away from a complete cut-off by putting “a deal,” one probably requiring the return of property confiscated from Cuban exiles who left the island following the 1959 revolution.
Cubans had been shocked by the US operation in January that captured their key ally, Venezuelan chief Nicolas Maduro, and resulted within the deaths of greater than 30 Cuban safety forces defending him. Officials have vowed to fight any related US army motion towards Cuba. State media in latest weeks has proven a rise in military drills and preparations.
Trump stated Monday that Mexico – one other shut ally of the Cuban authorities – would additionally droop oil shipments amid elevated US pressure. Mexico stated Wednesday its oil contracts with Cuba are nonetheless open, but it’s searching for alternative routes to assist Cuba to keep away from being affected by US tariffs.
On Tuesday, the US Embassy in Havana urged American residents in Cuba to take precautions amid the power disaster by conserving gas, water, meals and charging their telephones. It additionally warned that there have been instances of US residents being denied entry upon arrival as properly as a spike in government-sponsored protests towards the United States.
De Cossío argued that dialogue is a greater different for the US than coercion. While Cuba would not talk about regime change with American officers, he stated it’s prepared to talk about topics that would profit each nations, together with regional safety.
“(If) the US wants cooperation in fighting the trafficking of drugs, Cuba can help,” he stated. “We’ve been helping in the past, and we can continue to help with traffic that goes within the region.”