Miguel Díaz-Canel stated this Saturday that it "pains him deeply" what the Cuban people are going through and assured that he himself does not come from a privileged family, in an extensive interview given to journalist Mônica Bergamo for the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo.
"I am deeply pained by what is happening to our people, of which I am a part. I am not a child of an elite; I am the child of a worker and a teacher. I was not born into wealth or with properties, nor do I have any property at this moment. I have a house; I have the basics to live on, but I do not have those distinctions, nor do I have accumulated wealth, nor do I have bank accounts," declared the Cuban leader to Mônica Bergamo.
The hour-long interview takes place against the backdrop of the most severe crisis Cuba has faced in decades.
Díaz-Canel also revealed that the United States has sanctioned him, his wife, and one of his children, and downplayed the matter: "For me, that means nothing. I don't have any bank accounts, nor do I have an account in the United States, nor am I interested in being in the United States, nor do I own any property in the United States. They just can't understand us because we are different."
The leader described the situation in Cuba as a "multidimensional war"—ideological, cultural, economic, and media-driven—crafted by Washington to provoke a "social explosion" that would topple the government.
Regarding the energy crisis, he stated that in the last seven months only one oil tanker has entered the country: a Russian humanitarian aid shipment of 100,000 tons of crude, whereas the country requires seven fuel tankers per month.
That shortage has left 1,400 MW of distributed generation capacity unused, which, had it been supplied with fuel, would have reduced power outages to about three hours a day; instead, blackouts reach more than 20, 30, or even 40 hours, along with total system collapses that take days to recover from.
The electricity generation deficit exceeded 2,411 MW on August 5, marking a historical record.
Díaz-Canel presented health impact figures that he attributed to the energy blockade: more than 64,000 children with outdated vaccination schedules, over 34,000 pregnant women without access to ultrasounds, and infant mortality rates doubled compared to the historical rate of four to five deaths for every 1,000 live births.
Furthermore, it was noted that there is a waiting list of more than 98,000 patients for surgeries, including 12,000 children; that over 117,000 people with cancer —including around 1,200 minors— are not receiving primary oncology treatments; and that the system can only cover 30% of the essential medication list.
In response to the question of whether Cuba is on the brink of collapse, the ruler denied it: "There are blackouts, but no blackout has extinguished the hope of the Cuban people. There are shortages, but no shortage has broken the capacity to grow."
Regarding the possibility of an agreement with Washington, he acknowledged that the dialogue channel is "very stagnant," although he assured that there is a willingness to discuss and that Cuban officials have had meetings with their American counterparts without achieving concrete progress.
Díaz-Canel also rejected that the 176 economic measures announced in June are a concession to the United States, presenting them as the result of an internal debate lasting over ten years within the Communist Party.
When asked if he is afraid for his life—in reference to the capture of Nicolás Maduro in January 2026—he replied: "If one has made the decision to give their life for the cause, what is there to be afraid of? That decision has already been made. If it comes to me, it comes. But it won't be with weakness, it won't be with cowardice; it will be fighting, fighting."
The ruler stated that he has approximately two years left in his presidential term and three in the leadership of the Communist Party.
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