Cuba Confirms Diplomatic Contacts with U.S., Denies Formal Negotiations Amid Deepening Crisis
HAVANA – Cuban officials confirmed on Monday that diplomatic channels with the United States remain open, though they denied President Donald Trump's claims of ongoing high-level negotiations. The clarification comes as Washington intensifies a pressure campaign that has choked off Cuba's oil supplies, pushing its crippled economy closer to collapse.
"At this moment, we cannot speak of a formal dialogue with the United States," Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio told AFP in an interview. "However, it is accurate to say communications between the two governments have occurred."
His statement followed Trump's assertion on Sunday that U.S. officials were speaking with "the highest people" in Cuba's communist leadership and that he expected to "make a deal" soon. The U.S. president provided no details on potential terms.
De Cossio reiterated that Cuba remains "open to dialogue," a position echoed by many citizens who fear the mounting sanctions could trigger a full-blown humanitarian disaster. The crisis has been exacerbated since early January, when U.S. special forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro—a key Cuban ally and oil supplier. Under Washington's pressure, Venezuela's new administration has drastically reduced crude shipments to the island.
Trump further tightened the screws this week, declaring that Mexico—Cuba's other main oil provider—would also "cease sending them oil." He threatened tariff hikes on any nation assisting Cuba in circumventing the de facto blockade. Mexico, the United States' largest trade partner, had been sending crude to Cuba as recently as December to offset the shortfall from Venezuela.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had previously resisted cutting the lifeline, warning of "a far-reaching humanitarian crisis directly affecting hospitals, food supplies, and other basic services for the Cuban people." However, facing potential U.S. tariffs, she conceded last week: "We don't want to put our country at risk." A recent decree signed by Trump effectively forced Mexico and other Cuban partners to choose between ties with Havana and access to the U.S. market.
The fuel shortages have brought Cuba's already fragile power grid to the brink. Rolling blackouts—lasting up to 20 hours a day in some rural areas—have become routine, threatening to plunge the nation into darkness.
On the streets of Havana, the strain is palpable. Jorge Grosso, a 23-year-old student, spent nearly 24 hours queueing for gasoline last week. "I support talks if it means relief," he told AFP. "We need to see what conditions Trump imposes, because right now, they're strangling us."
Trump, meanwhile, repeated his characterization of Cuba as a "failed nation" and insisted a deal was within reach. "We are pretty close," he said Monday, "but we are dealing with the Cuban leaders right now."
The pressure on Mexico coincides with delicate trilateral talks between Washington, Mexico City, and Ottawa to review the crucial North American free-trade agreement. Over the past year, Sheinbaum has worked to avoid the punitive tariffs Trump has imposed on other allies—including by slapping steep tariffs on Chinese imports in January, a move widely interpreted as an attempt to appease the U.S. administration.
Voices from the Public
Elena Marquez, 58, retired teacher in Miami: "This is long overdue. The regime has oppressed its people for decades. If pressure forces real change, then it's justified. We can't keep pretending Cuba is a normal state."
David Chen, 42, political risk analyst in New York: "The strategic calculus here is clear. Washington is leveraging economic dependencies to isolate Havana. The risk, however, is that ordinary Cubans bear the brunt, potentially destabilizing the region further."
Miguel Soto, 67, Cuban-American small business owner in Tampa: "Trump's bluster might feel satisfying, but where's the actual plan? Squeezing families who are already standing in lines for days isn't a policy—it's cruelty. This isn't about democracy; it's about scoring political points."
Anya Petrova, 35, international relations scholar in London: "The 'communications' Havana confirms are likely lower-level diplomatic exchanges, not breakthrough negotiations. Both sides are posturing. The immediate tragedy is the accelerating humanitarian toll, which seems to be an accepted collateral effect in Washington."