Cuban, U.S. Delegations Hold Talks in Cuba
Alejandro Garcia del Toro, deputy director general for U.S. affairs at Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, disclosed the meeting to Cuba's state daily Granma, revealing that both sides sent high-level representatives to the table. "The U.S. side was represented by assistant secretaries of the State Department, while the Cuban side participated at the level of deputy minister of foreign affairs," Garcia told a newspaper.
The senior diplomat indicated that the negotiations have been deliberately kept out of the public eye. He said the talks have been handled "with discretion," as they are considered by the Cuban government to be "a sensitive matter" — a characterization that points to the fragile and complex diplomatic terrain both governments are navigating.
Garcia was emphatic that the discussions unfolded without pressure or ultimatums, stressing neither side set deadlines or made any coercive demands, and all exchanges took place respectfully and professionally.
Lifting fuel-related sanctions emerged as Havana's most pressing demand at the negotiating table. "The removal of the energy blockade against the country was a top priority" for the Cuban representatives, Garcia said, in a direct reference to Washington's penalties targeting nations that supply fuel to Cuba.
The official did not mince words in condemning the measures, delivering a pointed rebuke of U.S. energy sanctions. "This act of economic coercion is an unjustified punishment against the entire Cuban population. It is also a form of global blackmail against sovereign states, which have every right to export fuel to Cuba under the rules governing free trade," Garcia emphasized.
The disclosure of the talks signals a rare, if tentative, thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations, though the depth and durability of any diplomatic progress remain uncertain as both sides navigate deeply entrenched political sensitivities.
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