The Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla had a revealing moment last week on the "Good Morning America" program from ABC News, when reporter Whit Johnson pressed him in Havana on issues regarding free elections, political prisoners, and reforms, and the minister was unable to respond clearly to any of the questions.
The interview, conducted days before its airing, occurs amidst the worst crisis between Cuba and the United States in decades, following a new round of economic sanctions announced by the Trump administration.
The most tense moment came when Johnson directly asked him, "What do you fear would happen if there were free and fair elections in Cuba, if the people could truly choose?"
Rodríguez only responded, "You are presenting a prejudice," and said nothing more.
Johnson pointed out bluntly, "He never answered that question."
Before that moment, the chancellor had tried to sidestep the issue by describing Cuba as "a different kind of democracy" and arguing that it is "a country with its own history, with its peculiarities, and we are a free and independent nation."
The journalist reminded him that in Cuba voters face only one candidate and one party, and that there is no real possibility of election.
Rodríguez also stated categorically during the interview that "there are no political prisoners in Cuba," a claim that Johnson refuted live by citing human rights organizations that estimate that hundreds of people remain detained for political reasons.
Organizations like Prisoners Defenders and Justicia 11J document between 775 and 1,250 political prisoners in Cuba so far in 2026, including 44 minors and hundreds of individuals linked to the protests of July 11, 2021.
Regarding the negotiations with Washington, Rodríguez was equally categorical: there has been "no progress" in the recent contacts between the two governments.
The Cuban-American presenter Gio Benitez, who co-hosted the segment with Johnson, described the interview as "striking" and recalled that his own family "lost everything in Communist Cuba."
Johnson described the economic situation he observed on the island with concrete data: a carton of eggs costs more than the average monthly salary of a Cuban, a gallon of gasoline reaches 40 dollars on the black market, and gas stations remain closed because no one can afford it.
This crisis has figures to support it. CEPAL projects a contraction of the Cuban GDP of 6.5% for 2026, the worst in Latin America and the Caribbean, while economist Pedro Monreal warns that the decline could reach 15%, comparable to the worst year of the Special Period.
Since January 2026, the Trump administration has imposed more than 240 sanctions against the regime, including the interception of at least seven oil tankers, which have reduced the island's energy imports by between 80% and 90%. On May 8, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced new sanctions against GAESA and Moa Nickel following the expiration of an unanswered ultimatum from the regime.
In the first part shared by the outlet about the interview, the Cuban chancellor is seen making other controversial statements. On that occasion, Rodríguez Parrilla accused the United States of having genocidal intentions and warned that an attack could lead to a "bloodbath in Cuba."
Johnson concluded his report with a statement that summarizes the state of the negotiations: "There is a growing sense of desperation, and many of the people we spoke to really want a change."
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