Cuba confirms negotiations with US as country faces effects of oil blockade
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has said that his government is in talks with the Trump administration to find solutions to the two countries' differences, as the Caribbean country continues to face the effects of a US oil blockade.
Díaz-Canel said no fuel had entered Cuba in three months.
Talks between the two nations were in their initial stages, said Díaz-Canel, who is leading the Cuban side of negotiations, in a national broadcast on Friday.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Cuba was in "deep trouble" as he threatened a "friendly takeover".
Cuba is experiencing several blackouts as the island struggles with fuel shortages, which have been made worse by pressure from the US.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has made clear his desire to change Cuba's leadership. He has also threatened tariffs on goods imported into the US from any country that gives Cuba oil.
The White House told the BBC on Friday that: "As the president stated, we are talking to Cuba, whose leaders should make a deal, which he believes 'would be very easily made'".
Havana relies heavily on imported fuel for its electricity and the US has seized a number of oil shipments bound for Cuba.
Venezuela was believed to have sent around 35,000 barrels of oil a day to Cuba, providing about half the island's oil needs. But Washington's Venezuela raid - and capture of President Nicolás Maduro - in early January has disrupted the arrangement.
In his national broadcast, Díaz-Canel said that not having fuel enter Cuba for the past three months has led to the gradual decline of diesel and fuel oil reserves. Given this, the country's electrical grid has become increasingly "unstable", he said.
To mitigate the impact Cuba had increased production of domestic crude and gas, as well as solar generation.
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We are on the precipice of a huge achievement for American foreign policy, one that we've been trying to accomplish for generations.
Trump and Rubio are about to deliver the Cuban people from decades of oppression. I would hope even progressives will celebrate this achievement.
It will be nice to have a friendly government in Cuba. It is ALWAYS good to have peace 'enveloping' the American people. . . since it costs us so much to have permanent enemies. However, one has to be be careful of running around, across, and through the world making 'hasty' and heavy-handed 'deals' that can be broken as soon as the next president (here and abroad) enters the picture. What say you?
What say you?
I would agree the future is unknowable and their are no guarantees for Cuba moving forward
But removing the Castroite regime, or at least radically realigning it, is the best chance for Cuba to have enjoy the long term prosperity and stability that is in the best interests of both the Cuban people and America.
Seems to me that Cuba is no less friendly to America than Canada or Mexico are, or even Greenland with the backing of NATO, so the world's biggest bully is choosing to pull it's "My way or the highway" on the weakest of nations
That's quite a slur on those countries.
That's YOUR opinion. Of course their feelings probably DID change for the worse when America decided to strangle and starve them, which America may try to do to other nations if they succeed with this small more helpless one.
And with that comment I can agree. Good on Cuba and America is they can end ill-will between them. Unfortunately, I am compelled to point out another concern about stability: Trump's tariffs are causing 'instability' for the current USMCA and its renewal negotiations are upcoming this year (2026). Most outcast nations (like Cuba) are accustomed to long-term agreements which outlive a leader's set terms, plural.
Frankly, I am embarrassed for us. I am 98 percent comprehending what type of businessman/president ("cutthroat") Trump is and why he has a reputation as a shady businessman.
If I was to write something nice about Trump's worldview. . . it would be that he, as a man, does not like anybody to 'get over' on him. He seems paranoid in the extreme of that!
Unfortunately, that means when he feels that he is personally being made a 'Sap,' he will WALK OUT ("weasel out") on a contract through hook or crook. That is, through a lawsuit or other substitute measures he as leader can implement.
I get it. If a deal is found to be bad (for/to Trump) there are one of several options:
1. Continue the deal as is - end or break it as soon as feasible.
2. Not honor the deal arrangements in an effort to break it.
3. Sue the other "parties."
4. Walk out on the deal.
As a Canadian, I'm not looking forward to what Trump is going to do with USMCA, that Trump rewrote from what was NAFTA that had served the 3 nations so well. Judging from his opinion that everybody is stealing from America this could mark the end of any such agreement.
End of USMCA? Possibly a threatening 'consideration.'
See:
Cuba might agree to the regime change sought by Trump, but it would only do so because the Cuban government has a lot more concern for the welfare of its citizens and a lot more integrity than the government of America does for its own, and I would lament if Cuba were so forced to permit America to suceed in using such tactics which would enourage it to use such tactics on Greenlanld and any other nation.
What are you talking about? The Cuban government has terrorized it's people and enforced political conformity since Castro. Murdering and imprisoning dissenters by thousand is literally the exact opposite of caring for the welfare of its citizens. Generations of Cubans have suffered needless poverty and been forced to leave their country because of the government's abuses.
Yet again you argue history rather than the present time.
. The Castroites aren't responsible for anything that happened yesterday, let alone last year. Pay no attention to the political prisoners they hold.
Well, I guess you would never admit that Cuba, having some citizens unhappy with the government in being might be more advantageous for the happiness of all than having around half the population of a country unhappy with their government in being with many suffering because of it. After all, which country has the world's record (or ALMOST the world's record) for rate of incarcination?
Correct. I can't support the idea that a government that imprisons, tortures and kills people for peacefully dissenting with it is better than one that doesn't.
I'll agree with you on "imprisons", but is there REAL proof that "tortures and kills" is happening these days?
Careful there, Sean. . .Trump has done what you can't support in a variety of ways and means to individuals and collectives - and those parties have been severely wounded, and 'spun out' from his return to office and "Project 2025" activities.
Well, I guess it would be fair to say that a nation that has govenment agents killing dissenters is no better than another that does, if you know what I mean.
If you don't know, think of somehting that is extremely cold and melts.
Help! I get Ice. . . and nothing more, nevertheless!
As the Libertarians like to say:
TANSTAAFL
I'm afraid to ask you what TANSTAAFL stands for because the powers that be consider my question to be of no value or off topic.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Cuba was in "deep trouble" as he threatened a "friendly takeover".
Good point!
(I imagine that there are several countries who are worried about Trump doing a so called "friendly takeover" of their country).
That's right, Krishna, "friendly takeover" by not bombing the shit out of them but by strangling them and starving them to death.
Our brand is going to be SH-T after Trump's time in office. Countries affected by whatever he has wrought will either love or hate the U.S. ("Yankee: Go Home!") for the duration! Just imagine us to the eyes and minds of the world as villains from "Underdog "
Simon Bar Sinister Riff Raff
We will lose the (Underdog) theme of always coming to the aid of the world's " Polly Purebreds , plural."
Sorry, but i'm unable to open the image you posted. It would be necessary to save it to your pictures library and copy and post it from there.
I wonder what flag American backpackers are going to sew onto their backpacks when they tour foreign lands these days.
Ah Buzz! Do you remember the 'great' "Underdog" cartoon?:
Actually, no. Never saw them before.
Oh, okay.
Cuba has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism for over 4 decades. This has been very well documented over the years.
Their latest foray into this policy comes with support of Maduros narco state.
Don’t kid yourselves. Cuban isn’t a friend to the US. Not even close.
So, your opinion justifies the strangling and starving a whole nation of men, women and children? IMO doing THAT can be defined as TERRORISM.
Not opinion. Fact. Yours on the other hand, is only opinion.
Cuba has free will and has made its choices. Specifically, being a state sponsor of terror for over 40 years. Specifically, as an internationally known human rights violator. One wonders if you weep as hard for the oppressed, dead, tortured or missing caused by the Cuban government.
All conveniently absent in your biased evaluations above.
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