The president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, reiterated this Monday his willingness to “” with the United States (USA) within the framework of the visit to the island of the American Democratic congressmen Pramila Jayapal and Jonathan Luther Jackson. “I reiterated the will of our Government to maintain a serious and responsible bilateral dialogue, and find solutions to existing differences,” the Cuban president expressed on his social networks.
On March 13, Díaz-Canel recognized a “dialogue” with the United States, in “initial phases”, which represented a watershed in the escalation of tensions between both countries as a result of the deepening of the oil siege imposed by the US Government since January.
When I received the US congressmen and denounced the criminal damage caused by the , in particular the consequences of the energy fence decreed by the current US government and its threats of even more aggressive actions.
I reiterated the…
— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB)
Last week, both congressmen made a five-day visit to the island and at the end published a statement in which they asked to “immediately engage in real negotiations, which guarantee the dignity and freedom of the Cuban people and the enormous benefits for the American people that will derive from real collaboration.”
The Cuban Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodríguez, also met with Jayapa ly Jackson, and explained on social networks that he explained to them that “the multidimensional aggression that Cuba faces by the US Government, with a great impact on the Cuban population,” has worsened. The foreign minister noted that he had conveyed to the US congressmen the “threat of even more aggressive actions” by Washington towards Havana and “its constant and hostile communication campaign of discredit by all possible means.”
In their statement, Jayapal and Jackson claimed that “the illegal fuel blockade of Cuba (…) is causing incalculable suffering to the Cuban people and (…) must cease immediately.” They described in turn that they heard testimonies from “families, religious leaders, businessmen, civil society organizations.”
Tensions between Washington and Havana intensified after the , on January 3 and the closure of the flow of Venezuelan oil to the island. Then the United States threatened with tariffs on those who supply oil to Cuba. The oil blockade has increased the country’s chronic blackouts to record rates and almost completely paralyzed the state sector, from hospitals and public transportation to factories and public offices. The measure has been described by the UN as contrary to international law.
