Miguel Díaz-Canel turned to the capture of Nicolás Maduro and attacks against Iran as central arguments to explain his distrust of any negotiation process with the Trump administration, in an interview granted to journalist Roberto Cavada from the Corripio Communications Group of the Dominican Republic, conducted on June 19 at the Palace of the Revolution and aired on June 24.
The Cuban leader pointedly highlighted the pattern that, in his view, defines Washington's behavior: "When there was supposed to be a dialogue process with Venezuela, it attacked Venezuela and kidnapped the president and his wife, extracting them from the country in an action that is completely illegal and against international law. When it was supposed to be in dialogue with the Islamic Republic of Iran, it attacked Iran."
He added to those two cases the precedents of Iraq, Libya, and Syria, as well as the U.S. support for Israel in Gaza, to conclude that "all those elements also create a lot of distrust among the Cuban people when it comes to making any kind of negotiation."
The context surrounding these statements is one of maximum tension. The Absolute Resolve Operation on January 3, 2026, captured Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in Caracas using special forces from the U.S. Army, resulting in at least 40 military personnel and four Venezuelan civilians killed. Díaz-Canel cites this episode as proof that Washington can engage in dialogue and attack simultaneously.
Despite this declared distrust, the Cuban leader stated that Havana keeps a communication channel open with the United States, although he warned that the conditions are non-negotiable: "We cannot converse or negotiate under pressure, without pressures, and much less condition the dialogue on a change in our political system or on a change related to our sovereignty, our independence, or our self-determination."
The regime also rejected the notion that the 176 economic measures approved by the National Assembly on June 19 —the largest reform package since the Special Period, which includes private banking, foreign franchises, and private currency exchange— are a concession to Trump's pressures. "Trump has no authority in Cuba, nor does the U.S. government have authority in Cuba. Cuba is sovereign," stated Díaz-Canel, who described the reforms as "very Cuban solutions, entirely Cuban" resulting from an internal debate lasting between 10 and 15 years.
When the journalist asked him if, given that the measures are "intelligent," there would be better relations —referring to statements made by Vice President JD Vance on June 18, who said that if Cuba made "intelligent decisions," there would be "a much better relationship"—, Díaz-Canel responded unequivocally: "I believe they will never understand what we do nor will they ever accept what we do, because what they aspire to is a Cuba that is completely dependent on the United States and a Cuba that is completely privatized."
Regarding the offer of 100 million dollars in humanitarian aid announced by Washington, Díaz-Canel referred to it as a "joke" and pointed out that nothing has arrived on the island, that it will not be distributed until after September, and that it does not include medications or food, the two most scarce products in Cuba.
The leader also acknowledged that the threat of military aggression is real: "The danger of military aggression from the United States towards Cuba is present. It is present, especially because they constantly manipulate it in their rhetoric, they express it." This warning comes weeks after the Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed from CENTCOM that an operation for "capture or elimination" against Díaz-Canel "remains an option."
Díaz-Canel concluded his position with a phrase that summarizes the regime's strategy in response to pressure from Washington: "While we express our willingness to engage in dialogue, we are also preparing to ensure there are no surprises or defeats."
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