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Cuba is open to “meaningful” dialogue with the United States, but not to discuss regime change, Cuba’s deputy foreign minister told CNN on Wednesday, as the Trump administration ratchets up pressure on Cuba with talk of regime change.
Carlos Fernández de Cossio said: “We are not ready to discuss our constitutional system because I don’t think the United States is ready to discuss our constitutional system, our political system, our economic realities.”
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel echoed those comments Thursday, saying dialogue under pressure is impossible.
De Cossio said the two countries had not yet established a “bilateral dialogue” but had “exchanged some messages” that were “linked” with the highest levels of the Cuban government.
His remarks came days after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. “desires” regime change in Cuba, although not necessarily taking action.
It also comes as the Trump administration has stepped up pressure to cut off oil shipments to the Caribbean island. The United States has already cut off oil supplies from Venezuela after removing the Venezuelan president from power.
Last week, the country threatened to impose tariffs on countries exporting oil to Cuba, claiming that Havana posed an “extraordinary threat” by “cooperating with hostile states and malign forces (and) accepting their military and intelligence capabilities.”
Mr. De Cossio insisted on the U.S. rationale. “Cuba is not a threat to the United States. It is not aggressive toward the United States. It is not hostile to the United States. It does not harbor or support terrorism.”
He called on the United States to ease its pressure campaign, saying it was already harming the country.
Cubans face constant power outages and long lines at gas stations due to dwindling fuel supplies. Cuban officials blame existing U.S. economic sanctions primarily for the country’s weak energy sector, but critics also blame a lack of government investment in infrastructure.
De Cossio said Cuba may need to consider austerity measures and unspecified sacrifices to conserve fuel supplies, but did not say how much reserves it had left.
“What Cuba is suffering is tantamount to war in terms of economic coercion,” he said.
US President Donald Trump said Cuba could avoid a total economic shutdown by striking a “deal” that could require the return of property confiscated from Cuban exiles who left the island after the 1959 revolution.
President Trump said on Monday that Mexico, a close ally of the Cuban government, would also halt crude oil shipments amid increasing U.S. pressure. Mexico announced Wednesday that it still has an oil contract with Cuba but is looking for other ways to help Cuba avoid being hit by U.S. tariffs.
Cubans were shocked by the U.S. operation in January that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, another key ally, and the deaths of more than 30 Cuban security forces protecting him. Officials have vowed to counter any similar U.S. military action against Cuba. State media has shown an increase in military training and preparations in recent weeks.
Díaz-Canel said Thursday that Cuba’s National Defense Council is updating plans to defend the country if necessary.
Despite the differences between the two countries, Díaz-Canel said Cubans do not hate Americans. “We recognize the values of the American people, the values of our history, and the values of our culture,” he told reporters.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Embassy in Havana called on Americans in Cuba to take precautions amid the energy crisis by conserving fuel, water and food and charging their cell phones. It also warned of a sharp increase in cases of American citizens being refused entry upon arrival and government-sponsored protests against the United States.
De Cossio argued that dialogue is a better option for the United States than coercion. Cuba said it would not discuss regime change with U.S. officials, but was open to discussing issues that could benefit both countries, such as regional security.
“If the United States wants to cooperate in the fight against drug trafficking, Cuba can cooperate,” he said. “We have supported and will continue to support transportation within the region.”
