Cuba is willing to engage in dialogue with the US,' says president Miguel Diaz-Canel

"The president's appearance this Thursday morning was his first televised address to the Cuban people since the arrest of Nicolas Maduro on January 3, after several weeks in which Cuban authorities had limited themselves to issuing rather moderate messages on the social platform X, where they had already made clear their willingness to engage in dialogue with U.S. officials. However, the Cuban president insisted that any negotiation would take place without pressure, without preconditions, on equal footing, with respect for our sovereignty, independence, and self-determination."

"There are many things we can work on together, without prejudice, insisted Diaz-Canel, who arrived at a press room dressed in black and stood on a platform next to a portrait of a young Fidel Castro. How many things have we deprived both our peoples of because of this decadent, arrogant, criminal policy of blockade? He also insisted that any dialogue would be aimed at building a civilized relationship between neighbors that can bring mutual benefit to our peoples."

Cuba affirmed willingness to engage in dialogue with the United States while rejecting pressure and preconditions and demanding negotiations occur on equal footing with respect for sovereignty, independence, and self-determination. The stance was linked to policies defended earlier by Fidel Castro and later by Raul Castro. The televised appearance followed the January 3 arrest of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela and came after weeks of moderate messages on platform X indicating openness to talks. Cuban leadership framed dialogue as a means to build a civilized, neighborly relationship that brings mutual benefit and criticized the blockade as decadent and criminal.

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