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The Cuban regime rejected any "ultimatum" from Washington this Thursday for the release of political prisoners as a condition for the ongoing diplomatic negotiations, while the State Department warned that Havana has "a small window to make a deal."
The Cuban ambassador to the UN, Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, stated in an interview with the Associated Press that internal matters regarding detainees are not on the negotiation table.
"We have our legal system, just as you have yours here in the U.S.," said Soberón Guzmán.
"Therefore, we must respect the internal affairs of both," he emphasized.
In a direct response, the State Department issued a statement reaffirming that the Trump administration remains "committed to the release of all political prisoners" and issued an unambiguous warning: "The Cuban regime must stop playing games while direct talks are taking place. They have a small window to make a deal," AP reminded.
The conversations began on April 10, when a U.S. delegation secretly arrived in Havana for the first high-level direct meetings in a decade.
According to Soberón Guzmán, the Washington delegation participated at the undersecretary of state level, while Cuba was represented at the deputy minister of foreign affairs level.
Media outlets like USA Today and Axios had reported that the U.S. imposed a two-week deadline —expiring this Friday, April 24— for Cuba to release high-profile political prisoners, including artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and rapper Maykel Osorbo, both incarcerated since the protests of July 11, 2021.
The regime denied the existence of that ultimatum. Díaz-Canel described the meeting as respectful and professional" and in a very preliminary phase.
The backdrop of these negotiations is an unprecedented energy crisis on the island, exacerbated by pressure from Washington.
Trump signed an executive order in January imposing secondary tariffs on countries that export oil to Cuba, which led to Mexico suspending shipments from Pemex and Venezuela cutting off subsidized supplies following the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
Cuba needs between 90,000 and 110,000 barrels daily of crude oil, but produces only about 40,000 internally.
At the end of March, the Russian tanker Anatoly Kolodkin arrived at the port of Matanzas with 730,000 barrels, the first significant shipment in over three months. Soberón Guzmán acknowledged that this shipment barely covers a fraction of what the country needs to operate.
The fuel shortage has exacerbated blackouts, poverty, and hunger across the island, with power outages exceeding 40 hours in some communities.
Regarding compensation for Cuban-Americans for property confiscated since 1959, Soberón Guzmán confirmed that the issue has been discussed and that Havana is open to it, but conditioned any agreement on a reciprocal easing of the embargo.
"It's not just this claim, but also our claim because the embargo has an economic impact," he said. "This is a highway with two directions."
The diplomat also warned that Cuba is watching Trump's foreign policy with caution and is prepared for any scenario. "We are observing what is happening around the world, in our region, in the Middle East, so we are not naive," he stated.
"Our first choice —what we truly want— is a successful dialogue with the U.S. government."
But he added that, if a U.S. military aggression were to occur, "we are prepared to respond."
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