Cuban journalist criticizes Díaz-Canel after his interview on NBC: "He blames everything on the embargo."

The independent Cuban journalist Waldo Fernández Cuenca published a strong critique against Miguel Díaz-Canel following his appearance on the "Meet the Press" program from NBC News, labeling the interview as "one to forget."

Fernández Cuenca, a collaborator of Diario de Cuba and a winner of the Grand Prize for Press Freedom from the Inter-American Press Society in 2021, noted on Facebook that the Cuban leader did not deviate even a millimeter from the tiresome narrative of the regime and that he did not accept any internal responsibility during the nearly 50 minutes of the exchange.

According to the journalist, the word "blockade" was the one that Díaz-Canel mentioned most frequently, summarizing his stance: "All the hardships of the Cuban people are due to the United States."

Fernández Cuenca dismantled that logic with a straightforward question: "Why doesn't the Cuban government implement the necessary measures to put an end to the 'blockade' once and for all?"

The answer, according to the journalist, is that Washington has indeed set conditions for lifting the embargo: free elections, the release of political prisoners, and the opening up to a multi-party system. Conditions that the regime rejects because they would mean giving up power. "That's why the embargo— and not blockade— remains in place," he concluded.

The interview was recorded on April 9 at the José Martí Memorial in Havana and aired in its full 53-minute version on Sunday, April 12.

During the interview conducted by journalist Kristen Welker, Díaz-Canel denied the existence of political prisoners in Cuba, labeling that narrative as a "big lie" and "slander," despite the organization Prisoners Defenders documenting over 1,200 cases by the end of February. When asked if he would resign to save Cuba, he responded with irritation: "Is that question coming from you or from the State Department?"

Fernández Cuenca also criticized Welker's performance, noting that "he only managed to mildly unsettle Díaz-Canel with the last question," while the leader "felt at ease telling several lies."

The criticism from the independent journalist adds to other voices. Journalist Mónica Baró described the interview as a "propaganda success" for the regime and stated that Welker gave the Cuban leader a comfortable platform with barely any questioning. Republican Senator Rick Scott accused NBC of legitimizing the regime by granting it that platform.