The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, included free elections, multiparty systems, and the end of the leading role of the Communist Party of Cuba among the demands he attributes to the United States to "break" the country, and he asserted that this goal "will never happen".
In an interview with Reuters, the official responded to a question regarding alleged discussions where Washington would have conditioned the easing of sanctions on the privatization of Unión Cuba-Petróleo (CUPET). He did not confirm that such exchanges had taken place and expanded his response to defend the political system.
It is being said that all of Cuba's mining sector is involved, that all tourism is involved, that the entire Cuban economy must be privatized, he enumerated, before mentioning the demands to remove the PCC from its dominant position, allow more than one party, and hold "free elections."
The intention of the United States is to subjugate the people of Cuba and the Cuban revolution, and that will never happen, he stated.
The political monopoly, beyond discussion
His defense of the guiding role of the PCC aligns with the current constitutional order. Article 5 defines the party as "the only one" and as "the superior leading political force of society and the State," while Article 4 declares the socialist system irrevocable.
The minister's response prolongs a position reiterated by other leaders: to accept conversations with Washington without subjecting the structure of power to discussion.
In statements reported by CiberCuba on October 4, Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío stated to the Mexican newspaper Milenio: «Cuba is not willing to discuss with the government of the United States, nor with any government, Cuba’s internal political issues».
Miguel Díaz-Canel had set the same limit in April during an interview with Brazilian journalist Breno Altman: «Our internal problems are not up for discussion in a conversation with the United States or in a negotiation».
The Deputy Foreign Minister Anayansi Rodríguez Camejo also stated this month that the political system, the president, and the positions of the officials were non-negotiable.
What changes does Washington demand?
The American demands go beyond privatizing companies. Marco Rubio defended on May 20 a Cuba where citizens can choose and replace their leaders, establish independent media, and criticize the system without fear of imprisonment or exile.
In September, he insisted: «You cannot have economic freedom in Cuba if you do not first have political freedom. Both must be present, at least simultaneously. This will require a transitional period.».
President Donald Trump also placed political freedoms at the heart of his message for the anniversary of Cuban independence. He accused the regime of denying fair elections and silencing dissent, and promised that the United States would not rest until the Cubans regained their freedom.
The U.S. ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, specified other demands in June: «Open the economy, free political prisoners, stop treating citizens as a threat». He called for immediate economic and political reforms, linking the transformation of the country to the end of repression.
From Congress, Mario Díaz-Balart summarized the conditions he attributes to the Helms-Burton Act for lifting the embargo: the release of all political prisoners, the legalization of political parties, unions, and independent press, and the call for free and multiparty elections. «Which of these conditions does not deserve the Cuban people?», he asked.
More efficiency within the same model
De la O Levy pointed out that the way out of the crisis lies in improving the efficiency of CUPET, mining, and electricity generation, along with greater access to financing and international trade.
"If we were to privatize CUPET, would they lift the blockade?" he asked, questioning whether an economic concession would be enough to change U.S. policy.
In that same response, he acknowledged the consequences of the crisis: "We have long hours of blackouts, we have no fuel for cooking, we have no fuel for transportation."
Despite these shortcomings, he argued that the country should progress with its own resources and energy solutions: "It's a long journey, a difficult journey, without resources."
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