Cuban President Díaz-Canel Refuses to Resign, Calls for Dialogue with US
Cuban President Díaz-Canel stated in a US television interview that he would not resign, emphasizing Cuba's sovereignty and independence from the US. He called for unconditional dialogue with the US on all issues. The Trump administration views Cuba's leadership as struggling after losing Venezuelan support and continues to pressure the island, including an oil blockade.
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- 📰 Published: April 10, 2026 at 10:41
- 🔍 Collected: April 10, 2026 at 11:00 (19 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 15, 2026 at 21:21 (130h 21m after Collected)
According to a translation of remarks provided by NBC News, Díaz-Canel stated: "We are a free and sovereign nation, a free country. We have the right to self-determination and independence, and we are not at the mercy of the United States." The 65-year-old leader also said: "The US government, which implements hostile policies against Cuba, is not qualified to make any demands on Cuba." He added: "The concept of revolutionaries giving up and stepping down does not exist in our dictionary." Díaz-Canel told NBC News that Cuba hopes to "engage in dialogue without any preconditions, to discuss any issue, without being asked to change our political system, just as we would not ask the United States to change its system, about which we also have many concerns." Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Josefina Vidal told AFP on April 7th that negotiations with the United States were still in "very preliminary stages." In response to Díaz-Canel's remarks today, a White House official said that the Trump administration is talking with Cuba, and that the Cuban leadership wants to reach an agreement and should reach one, which Trump believes "will be very easy to achieve." The White House official said today: "Cuba is a failing state, and the ruling class has suffered a major setback after losing Venezuelan support." The United States has recently pressured communist-ruled Cuba, implementing an de facto oil blockade and threatening to impose tariffs on any country attempting to sell oil to Cuba. After the US arrested Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January this year, Cuba's main oil supply from its ally Venezuela was cut off, plunging Cuba into an energy crisis. Trump had publicly proposed the idea of "taking over" Cuba, and he had similar claims about Greenland, Canada, and Venezuela. The Trump administration views the Cuban leadership as a "threat" to US national security. Díaz-Canel vowed last month to "firmly resist" any such takeover. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has Cuban heritage, led negotiations with Havana authorities and demanded major reforms from the Cuban leadership, deeming the current leadership incompetent. However, Rubio denied demanding Díaz-Canel's resignation. Despite bilateral tensions, the US allowed a Russian oil tanker to unload crude oil in Cuba more than a week ago. (Compiler: Lu Yingzi) 1150410
FAQ
What is Cuban President Díaz-Canel's stance towards the United States?
President Díaz-Canel emphasizes Cuba's sovereignty and independence from the US, calling for unconditional dialogue with the US on any issue.
What is the US Trump administration's policy towards Cuba?
The Trump administration believes Cuba's leadership is struggling after losing Venezuelan support and continues to pressure Cuba, including implementing an oil blockade, and views the Cuban leadership as a threat to US national security.