Cuba remains open to dialogue with US, but rejects negotiations under oppression — president

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has said dialogue with the US is “stagnant” and there is no defined agenda for negotiations while rejecting claims that Cuba is on the verge of economic collapse, the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo reported.

“There is a desire for dialogue, and there are officials from our government who have spoken with the US government. But it has not yet been possible to advance. There is no agenda,” Diaz-Canel said.

He said Cuba remains willing to establish a dialogue channel with Washington but rejected negotiations under conditions of oppression.

“There can be no dialogue under oppression. We need to seek a channel for dialogue without preconditions,” he said.

Diaz-Canel accused the Trump administration of trying to suffocate Cuba economically and provoke a social explosion that would lead to the fall of the Cuban Revolution.

He also accused Washington of seeking to “cut off all forms of escape” available to Cuba, referring to comments by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

He rejected claims that the country is close to collapse, despite shortages of fuel, electricity, food and medicines.

“We find ourselves in a complex situation but one marked by enormous creativity and the historic resilience of the Cuban people,” he said.