Cuba confirms talks with US officials, wants end to Trump’s energy blockade

Cuba has confirmed talks with US officials, which took place in Havana, and expressed a desire to end the three-month-old US oil blockade. The exchange was described as "respectful and professional" by Alejandro Garcia del Toro, deputy director general of the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The US delegation included assistant secretaries of state, while the Cuban delegation consisted of representatives at the level of deputy foreign minister. The talks did not involve any threats or deadlines, according to Garcia del Toro. The Cuban government views ending the energy blockade as a "top priority" and accuses Washington of "blackmail" for threatening countries that export oil to Cuba with tariffs. The US officials also laid out several conditions for negotiations to continue, including the release of prominent political prisoners and liberalizing the island's economy.

A senior Cuban diplomat confirmed that delegations from Cuba and the United States recently met in Havana. The talks, which included assistant secretaries from the US State Department and Cuba’s deputy foreign minister, occurred as Cuba faces economic pressure from the US. According to the US news outlet Axios, the US delegation presented conditions for continued negotiations, including the release of political prisoners. However, a Cuban official denied these claims. The meetings reportedly took place on April 10 and included Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, grandson of former president Raul Castro, on the Cuban side. The purpose of the talks was to address the ongoing tensions and explore potential avenues for negotiation between the two countries.