He Cuban Government He acknowledged this Wednesday that he has exchanged messages with the United States, which have been linked “at the highest level.”
The vice minister of Foreign Relations Carlos Fernández de Cossío, who has been the figure in charge of making statements to the press about the current bilateral crisis and possible contacts with Washington, said to cnn that “for the moment” both parties had only “some exchanges of messages” and confirmed Havana’s willingness to move to another level.
As I had already said in recent interviews with other mediathe diplomat maintained that a bilateral dialogue has not yet been properly established, contrary to Donald Trump’s statements in this regard.
“The US Government knows that Cuba is ready and has been ready for a long time to maintain a meaningful dialogue,” said Fernández de Cossío.
Asked Regarding whether the communications that have existed so far have been at the “highest level,” as Trump has assured, the Cuban vice foreign minister confirmed it, although without offering details.
“Most of the issues in Cuba related to the US are linked to the highest level. It is an issue of great importance for us, so there is no decision or action that does not involve a high level of the Cuban Government,” he explained.
This is the first time that an official from the island publicly confirms contacts at this level between Havana and Washington after the events at the beginning of the year in Venezuela and the subsequent threat by the White House to impose tariffs on countries that send oil to the island.
“Cuba is not a threat”
Regarding the declaration of Cuba as an “extraordinary threat” to the United States, Fernández de Cossío reaffirmed his Government’s rejection of that classification.
“Cuba does not represent any threat to the United States. It is not aggressive against the United States. It is not hostile. It does not harbor terrorism nor sponsor terrorism,” he stated, quoted by cnn.
In addition, he once again put a change in the island’s political and economic system as a red line for a possible negotiation with Washington.
“We are not ready to discuss our constitutional system, just as we assume that the United States is not ready to discuss its constitutional system, its political system or its economic reality,” he said.
The deputy foreign minister compared the effect of the sanctions and the current pressure from the White House on the island to those of a war.
“What Cuba is suffering is equivalent to a war in terms of coercive economic measures,” he asserted, and said that the Cuban authorities could be forced to take even greater austerity measures and make “sacrifices” to face the current scenario.
In recent statements to EFEhad already said that the island had “limited options” in the face of strong pressure from the Trump Administration and announced that “in the coming days” a “reorganization process” in the country will be publicly communicated, which he classified as “very difficult.”
Trump: “Cuba is in big trouble”
This Wednesday, the US president once again assured that his Government is “talking” with Havana and stated that “Cuba is in big trouble.”
During an interview with NBCTrump attributed these problems to the loss of support from Venezuela after the fall of Nicolás Maduro.
“They obtained their oil from Venezuela, they converted the oil into money, and that is no longer happening. They are in big problems,” he asserted, without making explicit reference to the pressure measures that his Government has implemented against the island.
“Humanitarian aid will have to be sent there,” he said.
When asked if he believed that the Cuban government would remain in power in the current scenario, Trump did not give a direct answer. “I don’t want to say that, but we are talking to Cuba,” he said.
The Republican referred again to the migrants who arrived in the United States from the island, particularly those who “were forced to leave” and asserted that they will now have “the option” to return as a result of the conversations with the Cuban authorities.
I had previously said that his Administration was “close” to reaching an agreement with Havana that, among other things, would allow Cubans residing in the United States to visit their country again and stated that he would “like to help” those who “fled Cuba” and “would like to return.”
