Cuba Talks

Cuba recently held talks with the U.S. government, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel affirmed on Friday, marking the first time the Caribbean nation has confirmed such speculation as it grapples with a severe energy crisis.

Díaz-Canel stated that the talks "have been aimed at seeking solutions—through dialogue—to the bilateral differences that exist between our two nations. There are international factors that have facilitated these exchanges." He did not specify what those factors were, nor did he offer details regarding the talks, to which U.S. President Donald Trump has alluded in the past.

Cuba's relations with the United States have been tense for decades and marked by animosity, except for a brief rapprochement during the second term of former President Barack Obama.

Trump has indicated that Cuban leaders would be wise to avoid the fate of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was captured in a U.S. military operation in January.

Shortly after Díaz-Canel's remarks, two U.S. officials said that Rubio—the son of Cuban immigrants and a hardliner toward Cuba—and advisors met in late February in the Caribbean with the grandson of former Cuban President Raúl Castro, who is believed to wield considerable influence in the government despite not holding an official position. Only time will tell whether these talks bear fruit and the Caribbean remains peaceful.