IBNS-CMEDIA: Cuba on Monday dismissed suggestions of any diplomatic engagement with the United States, hours after President Donald Trump claimed Washington was in talks with Havana and urged the communist-led island nation to “make a deal” or face severe consequences.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel stated that there were “no conversations” with the US government, except for limited technical contacts on migration issues.
Posting on X, he rejected Trump’s assertion that dialogue was underway following the US military operation that led to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a close ally of Havana.
Trump had on Sunday warned Cuba to move quickly, threatening to completely cut off oil supplies and financial support that Venezuela had previously provided before Maduro’s capture in a January 3 raid.
“THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”
The US president did not clarify what such a deal would involve.
Responding sharply, Díaz-Canel said Cuba would not be dictated to by Washington and reiterated that any improvement in bilateral relations must rest on respect for international law.
“Relations with the United States must be based on international law, not on hostility, threats and economic coercion,” he said.
The exchange comes amid renewed pressure from Washington, which has enforced sweeping sanctions on Cuba for decades.
Trump has intensified those measures in recent days, linking Cuba’s fate to developments in Venezuela following the removal of its long-time leftist leadership.
Despite the rhetoric, Cuban officials have maintained that formal diplomatic talks with the United States are not taking place, underscoring the continuing strain in relations between the two longtime adversaries.
