Díaz-Canel: US dialogue stalled, Cuba not near collapse

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said in an interview with Brazil's Folha de S.Paulo that dialogue with the United States is "stalled," despite a "willingness to talk," and that no "defined agenda" exists for bilateral understanding. He insisted Cuba is not "on the brink of collapse," even as the economy has contracted by more than 15% between 2020 and 2025, with US oil blockade and secondary sanctions exacerbating shortages of electricity, transport, and medicine. Source: elnacionalve Source: infobae

The reaction

Díaz-Canel acknowledged that international experts' warnings of a potential "silent Gaza" humanitarian crisis are "a perfectly correct assessment," but he rejected predictions of institutional collapse, citing "enormous creativity and the historical resistance of the Cuban people." He accused the Trump administration of acting with "perversity" in an "attempt to subjugate the nation," referencing Secretary of State Marco Rubio's pledge to "cut off all possible escape routes" and alleged CIA operations leaks. Source: eldiado Source: diariolibree

Economic reforms

Regarding the 176 economic reforms approved in June to decentralize state management, of which 76.1% already have legal backing, Díaz-Canel denied they represent a "capitalist restoration," reaffirming that Cuba is "in a process of socialist construction." He said the reforms stem from internal debates over the past decade. Source: infobae Source: elnacionalve