The Cuban Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, confirmed that Havana agreed to participate in a communication channel proposed by the U.S. administration, although he stated that the contacts did not lead to progress because Washington aimed to impose conditions on the regime.
The statements were made during an interview granted to Al Jazeera Arabic, recorded in Havana and broadcast on July 24. “A few months ago, we had what we called a communication channel. We do not use the word negotiations because we were not negotiating anything concrete. It was a communication channel proposed by the United States, and we accepted it because we have always believed that dialogue is better than confrontation,” he affirmed.
According to Fernández de Cossío, these contacts aimed to convey to Washington that Cuba "is not an enemy" of the United States and to express Havana's willingness to build a relationship based on mutual respect and the recognition of the sovereignty of both countries.
However, he/she stated that the process soon became stagnant.
"The dialogue did not progress much because the United States continues to mistakenly believe that it can impose its conditions on Cuba and extract concessions regarding our political and constitutional system," he stated.
The statements from the deputy minister come just one day after the State Department announced a new round of sanctions against nine entities and two high-ranking Cuban officials, targeting the military business conglomerate GAESA, the energy sector, and the medical missions program.
Since the beginning of 2026, the administration of President Donald Trump has imposed around 250 sanctions against Cuba, including measures targeting Miguel Díaz-Canel, his wife, and several entities deemed strategic for the regime.
For his part, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on July 22 that the United States remains open to dialogue, but conditioned any progress on Havana making "real changes," including the release of political prisoners and political and economic reforms, demands that the regime rejects.
Havana rules out mediation but does not close the door
When asked about the possibility of a third country facilitating rapprochement between both governments, Fernández de Cossío stated that such mediation is not necessary, as Cuba and the United States maintain diplomatic relations and have embassies in their respective capitals.
Even so, he left that possibility open under certain circumstances.
“If there is a friendly country that understands the situation in Cuba, that recognizes the importance of international law and is willing to convey that collective punishment is not acceptable internationally, we welcome it,” he stated.
The statements come amid escalating tension between Washington and Havana. In the same interview, Fernández de Cossío warned that a potential U.S. military action would lead to "massive loss of life" and "destruction," reiterating a similar message expressed weeks earlier by Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez.
Although in February the deputy minister himself denied the existence of a formal negotiation table with the United States, he did acknowledge at that time the exchange of messages at the highest level. The interview granted to Al Jazeera represents, thus far, the most comprehensive public explanation provided by a high-ranking Cuban official regarding those direct contacts between the two governments.
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