While President Miguel Díaz-Canel insists on denouncing the “siege” by the United States and Deputy Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío dismisses any political negotiation with Washington, new revelations paint a very different picture behind the scenes.
According to a report by Axios this Wednesday, the discussions between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, grandson of Raúl Castro nicknamed "El Cangrejo," are not characterized by ideological reproaches or historical accusations. On the contrary.
“She is the apple of her grandfather's eye,” said a source quoted by the media, describing the young Castro as a key figure within the inner circle of power in Havana and with ties to the military-business conglomerate GAESA.
The same source assured that the exchanges have been "surprisingly cordial." "There are no political diatribes about the past. It's about the future,” they added.
The phrase contrasts with the usual tone of the Cuban official discourse, which is still anchored in the historical narrative of confrontation with the United States.
In recent days, Díaz-Canel has publicly denounced the "hostility" of Washington, while Fernández de Cossío has reiterated that Cuba will not discuss its Constitution, its socialist system, or the release of political prisoners.
In an interview with EFE, the Deputy Foreign Minister was emphatic: there is no negotiating table and “we have no intention of discussing” internal reforms. The official message is clear: perhaps technical cooperation; no political transformation whatsoever.
However, the description of Axios refers to a parallel, discreet channel focused on future scenarios. It is not —according to a high-ranking U.S. official— “formal” negotiations, but rather conversations that explore what might come next.
The Trump administration itself has been explicit about its strategic objective. “Our position—the position of the United States government—is that the regime has to go,” said a senior official quoted by Axios. “But how it will look exactly... that depends on President Trump, and he hasn't decided yet. Rubio is still in talks with the grandson.”
In this context, the contrast becomes even more striking. While Havana publicly insists that there is no dialogue and rejects any debate about the political system, Washington openly discusses regime change and, at the same time, maintains an apparently pragmatic channel with the inner circle of Raúl Castro.
The cordiality described by American sources suggests that, at least through that channel, there is no discussion about the historical legitimacy of Castro's regime nor is there a reopening of old wounds from the exile. They talk about the "future."
That nuance is relevant. It implies that the White House might be exploring a negotiated transition from within the system, as already occurred in Venezuela after the capture of Nicolás Maduro. There, part of the Chavista apparatus remained in function during the stabilization process.
In Cuba, the interlocutor is not Díaz-Canel —whom Washington perceives as an aparátchik with no real margin— but rather the immediate circle of the man whom many still consider the true decision-maker: the nonagenarian General Castro.
The revelation reveals a dual narrative. On the outside, the regime maintains a rhetoric of ideological firmness and constitutional immovability. On the inside, according to Axios, conversations focused on the future are reportedly taking place.
It is unclear how far those contacts will progress or what transition model might emerge from them. Trump has still not defined the definitive strategy towards Cuba, and Rubio continues to explore options.
But the contrast is already significant: while the official Cuban discourse looks to the past and reaffirms limitations, the discreet channel revealed by Axios—if confirmed in all its dimensions—would be looking ahead.
And in politics, sometimes, the difference between past and future marks the beginning of a present change.
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