Trump Insists He's Negotiating with Cuba While Havana Denies It

President Donald Trump again claimed that his administration is maintaining negotiations with the Cuban government, despite island authorities repeatedly stating there’s no bilateral dialogue underway.

Trump: “We’re Close to a Deal”

In statements from the Oval Office, Trump claimed Washington is “close” to reaching an agreement with Havana:

“Many Cubans would like to at least visit their families, and I think we’re close to achieving that. The thing is we’re negotiating with Cuban leaders right now.”

The president said he’d “like to help” those who “fled Cuba” and “would like to return,” though Cuban residents in the US already have the legal ability to visit the island.

”Cuba Is a Failed Nation”

Trump recalled his executive order imposing tariffs on countries sending oil to Cuba and called the island “a bankrupt nation”:

“It’s a failed nation, they don’t receive money from Venezuela or anywhere else.”

He also claimed Mexico will stop sending oil to Cuba, though Claudia Sheinbaum’s government has said it will seek ways to continue shipments.

Havana Denies Negotiations

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Fernández de Cossío told Associated Press that Cuba is not maintaining a dialogue with Washington:

“We’re open to dialogue. If we can have a dialogue, maybe that can lead to a negotiation. We’re not talking specifically about negotiation yet.”

Cossío clarified that certain topics are “off the table,” such as the Constitution, economy, and Cuba’s socialist system.

However, in statements to Reuters, he acknowledged that Havana has maintained “communication” with Washington: “We’ve had message exchanges, we have embassies, but we can’t say we’ve had a negotiating table.”

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Source: OnCubaNews, EFE, AP, Reuters