President Donald Trump’s government conditions negotiations between the United States and Cuba on the departure of dictator Miguel Díaz-Canel from power, according to the newspaper The New York Times in a report published this Monday (16). According to sources heard by the newspaper, American authorities indicated to Cuban negotiators that there will be no progress in negotiations as long as the current leader of the communist regime remains in office.
The position, according to the Timeswas presented during recent conversations between representatives of the two countries about the political and economic future of the island, which is facing one of the worst crises since the communist revolution of 1959. The American proposal does not currently envisage the complete overthrow of the regime, only the departure of Díaz-Canel as a condition for broader agreements to be signed.
According to the report, members of the Trump administration assess that the removal of the current dictator would allow structural changes in the Cuban economy, considered unlikely under the leadership of Díaz-Canel, seen by American authorities as a leader aligned with the toughest wing of the communist regime. According to sources heard by the newspaper, the idea would be to open space for reforms that allow greater participation by private companies and foreign investors.
The newspaper states that Washington would not have demanded measures against members of the Castro family, who continue to exert influence over the Cuban political system. The strategy, according to people close to the negotiations, would be more aligned with the objective of forcing concessions from the regime than promoting a complete change of leadership.
According to the report, American negotiators also defend the release of political prisoners and the replacement of older leaders linked to Fidel Castro’s ideological line, in addition to measures that facilitate the island’s economic opening.
In recent months, the United States has increased pressure on Havana by restricting oil shipments and tightening economic sanctions against the communist island. The increase in pressure has been generating internal chaos in Cuba, due to the energy crisis, which has already fueled several protests this weekend in different regions of the country.
This Monday, President Trump once again criticized the Cuban regime and stated, during a statement at the White House, that he believes he will have the “honor of taking Cuba” and “liberating” the island. The Republican said the country is weakened after years of economic crisis and suggested that his government could play a decisive role in the territory’s political future. Dictator Díaz-Canel recently confirmed that there are ongoing talks with Washington.
