Cuba FM says 'no progress' in negotiations with US
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
Cuba's government said Tuesday that months of negotiations with the United States, which is applying maximum pressure to the island to try to bring about a change in governance, had shown "no progress."
"The discussions between the Cuban and US governments are showing no progress," Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez told a press conference, while adding that "despite all that" Havana "will remain open to dialogue."
A Severe Fuel Blockade and Stalled Diplomacy
The stalemate comes as relations between Havana and Washington have hit a fresh nadir. Following a dramatic escalation in US sanctions earlier this year, including a strict fuel blockade that has crippled Cuba's electrical grid, decimated tourism, and triggered a severe domestic energy crisis, the two nations quietly opened a channel of dialogue in March.
However, those back-channel exchanges have completely stalled. While US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently expressed hope for a "good result," Cuban officials have publicly questioned Washington’s seriousness, accusing the US of using the economic stranglehold to force regime change.
The lack of diplomatic progress has significantly raised stakes on the island. Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Josefina Vidal recently warned that the risk of outright US military aggression is growing as Washington fabricates pretexts to portray Cuba as a national security threat.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez used Tuesday's press conference to accuse the US State Department of actively "pressuring and intimidating" United Nations member states to delay an upcoming July 7 floor debate regarding the decades-long US trade embargo.
