Jorge Legañoa, a frequent spokesperson for the Cuban regime on Canal Caribe, has vehemently denied any ongoing discussions between Havana and Washington, dismissing claims of "secret negotiations" as part of a "media campaign" intended to "confuse, divide, and demobilize" the Cuban populace.
This denial comes just three days after former President Donald Trump announced at the Shield of the Americas Summit in Miami that Cuba is eager to strike a deal and that the regime has already engaged in direct contact with Washington. "They are negotiating with Marco and me, and with some others," Trump stated, referring to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
In a lighthearted moment, Trump joked that Rubio might be able to seal a deal with Cuba "in an hour off."
While Legañoa acknowledged Cuba's historical willingness for dialogue, he emphasized firm conditions: "Historically, the Cuban government has shown openness to dialogue with the United States, but without underhanded dealings, in a serious and responsible manner, based on respect for sovereignty and international law." He also criticized what he described as a dual-pressure strategy: "Aggression from Washington, blaming us for what they provoke, manipulating the supposed dialogue which we approach with transparency and as equals."
Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío previously admitted to only "informal message exchanges" with the U.S., ruling out formal talks or transition agreements and excluding topics such as the constitution, economy, or the socialist system from any discussions. Meanwhile, Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, Cuba's representative to the UN, dismissed reports of contact between Rubio and Cuban officials.
The underlying context of this narrative dispute is Cuba's severe energy crisis. The capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3 by U.S. forces cut off the Venezuelan supply of between 26,000 and 35,000 barrels of oil daily to a country that consumes about 100,000 barrels a day but only produces a third of its needs. As a result, Cuba endures power outages lasting over 15 hours per day and faces critical shortages of food and medicine.
Under this pressure, Trump signed Executive Order 14380 on January 29, declaring a national emergency and threatening tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba. Although the U.S. Supreme Court ruled these tariffs illegal on February 20, the national emergency remains in place. Additionally, on February 25, the Trump administration announced it would allow the sale of U.S. petroleum products directly to private Cuban companies, bypassing the state embargo, in what analysts have termed "Cubastroika."
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel denounced the executive order as "fascist, criminal, and genocidal," and criticized the Shield of the Americas Summit as "neocolonial." Mariela Castro, daughter of Raúl Castro, was more blunt: "With the United States, we can only have dialogue, never negotiation." Trump, in contrast, left no room for ambiguity, warning that Cuba "can be a friendly acquisition, or it may not be."
Insights on U.S.-Cuba Relations
What are the current conditions for dialogue set by Cuba?
Cuba insists that any dialogue with the United States must be conducted seriously and responsibly, based on mutual respect for sovereignty and international law, without underhanded dealings.
How has the energy crisis affected Cuba's stance?
The severe energy crisis, exacerbated by the loss of Venezuelan oil supplies, has led to prolonged power outages and shortages of essential goods, putting additional pressure on Cuba in its dealings with the U.S.