Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said the dialogue Cuba seeks to establish with Washington could not move forward under pressure and preconditions. Díaz-Canel said no agenda had yet been set for negotiations between the two countries to begin.
The Cuban leader said they remained committed to establishing an unconditional channel of communication with the US and would continue defending Havana's sovereignty. Díaz-Canel reiterated that they were open to such a dialogue with the US.
Díaz-Canel accuses the Trump administration
Díaz-Canel accused US President Donald Trump's administration of trying to suffocate the Cuban economy and provoke a social explosion that would lead to the collapse of the Cuban Revolution.
The Cuban president also claimed that Washington was trying to close every avenue available to his country. He based this assessment on statements by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Contraction of the Cuban economy
Díaz-Canel acknowledged that Cuba was experiencing shortages of fuel, electricity, food and medicine but rejected claims that the country was on the verge of economic collapse. The leader emphasized the Cuban people's creativity and historical resilience, saying the country was going through a complex period.
Díaz-Canel acknowledged that government bureaucracy and delays in implementing reforms had caused problems, but argued that the fundamental cause of the economic crisis was the US blockade.
Cuba's economy has contracted by 15 percent since Díaz-Canel took office. During the deepening crisis, the country also experienced prolonged power outages and fuel shortages.
Economic package approved by parliament
Díaz-Canel defended a package of 176 economic measures approved by the Cuban parliament in June. The Cuban leader said the reforms aimed to strengthen the socialist economic model and that regulations increasing the role of private businesses and foreign investment did not represent a transition to capitalism.
The statements came at a time when the Washington administration was increasing economic pressure on Cuba and tensions between the two countries were rising.
