Cuba confirmed on Monday, April 20th, recent talks in Havana with American officials, amid high tensions between the communist regime and the United States.
“A meeting between the Cuban and American delegations recently took place here in Cuba,” stated Alejandro Garcia, a senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirming reports from the United States. The diplomat mentioned a sensitive issue that needed to be handled discreetly, indicating that the meeting occurred at a high diplomatic level.
“From the American side, Deputy Secretaries of State and Cuban counterparts, at the level of vice ministers of foreign affairs, participated,” he specified. On Friday, the American media outlet Axios reported that senior American officials met with Cuban officials in Havana on April 10th, including Raul Castro, the grandson of former leader Raul Castro.
Axios, citing a State Department official, reported that American diplomats had presented several demands, including the release of political prisoners.
“During the meeting, neither party set deadlines nor made ultimatums, as some American media outlets indicated. All exchanges were conducted in a respectful and professional manner,” said Alejandro Garcia.
“The lifting of the energy blockade against our country has been an absolute priority for our delegation. This act of economic coercion is an unjust punishment inflicted on the entire Cuban population,” added the diplomat. He also criticized Washington’s “blackmail” against countries wishing to export oil to Cuba.
The United States and Cuba have been in talks for several weeks, amidst a resurgence of tensions between the two neighboring ideological adversaries. In addition to the American embargo in place since 1962, Washington has imposed stringent restrictions on Cuba’s oil imports since January.
