The leader Miguel Díaz-Canel categorically ruled out any negotiation with Washington on Wednesday that would involve changes to the Cuban political system, warning that if the United States insists on imposing that condition, there will be no possibility for dialogue.
The statement was made in an exclusive interview granted to Brazilian journalist Breno Altman for the "20 Minutos" program of Opera Mundi, recorded in Havana and published today, two days before the deadline of an ultimatum that the Trump administration allegedly presented to the Cuban regime on April 10.
In response to the direct question of whether Cuba would accept the "regime change" terms openly used by the United States, Díaz-Canel was emphatic: "Absolutely not. No, that is not a topic. Our internal problems are not on the table for a conversation with the United States and for negotiation."
When the journalist asked him if, since the U.S. does not accept to negotiate on Cuban terms, then there is no negotiation, the leader was even more straightforward: "There is no negotiation. There is no negotiation."
Díaz-Canel added that the responsibility for any potential failure would fall on Washington: "If one of the parties does not support that dialogue, does not support that conversation, wants to impose, breaks the conversation, breaks the negotiation."
The regime's position directly conflicts with that of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has stated that "Cuba's economy needs to change, and that economy cannot change unless its system of government also changes."
On April 10, a delegation from the State Department landed in Havana —the first official flight of a U.S. government airplane to Cuba since 2016— demanding the release of political prisoners such as Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and Maykel Osorbo, along with a two-week ultimatum that is nearing its deadline this Friday, April 24.
Despite the red line on the political system, Díaz-Canel acknowledged that conversations with the U.S. do take place, although they are "in a very preliminary, very initial phase," and he reiterated the willingness to engage in dialogue as long as it is from a position of respect for Cuban sovereignty, without conditioning and on equal terms.
The interview takes place during the worst energy crisis Cuba has experienced in decades.
Díaz-Canel acknowledged that the island went four months without receiving a drop of imported fuel: "Four months, four months without receiving anything," he said, attributing the situation to Executive Order 14380 signed by Trump on January 29, 2026, which declared Cuba an "unusual and extraordinary threat."
Regarding the risk of military intervention, the leader acknowledged that it is possible they might try to attack Cuba, but he assured that the country is preparing with a defensive vision: "We do not promote war, we do not encourage war, but we do not fear war if we have to defend the revolution and the sovereignty and independence of the country."
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Anayansi Rodríguez Camejo had previously anticipated the same position weeks earlier: "The Cuban political system is non-negotiable. It is not part of the negotiation table. Neither the president nor the position of any official is negotiable."
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