Defiant Cuba Snubs US, Woos India
Cuba will not alter its political system to secure an end to the US blockade, Carlos Luis Jorge Méndez, the country’s First Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, said in an interview ahead of the BRICS summit in New Delhi.
“We are not going to change our system to get down the blockade,” Mendez said, rejecting the idea that Havana should introduce political changes in exchange for economic assistance from Washington.
His comments came after he was asked about reports that the US administration had offered assistance to Cuba’s energy sector on the condition of regime change.
Mendez said Cuba was open to dialogue with Washington on economic and other issues, but insisted that any negotiations would have to be conducted on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.
“We are not asking them to change their political regime,” he said, questioning why Washington should have the right to demand political changes from Havana.
Mendez said Cuba was already undertaking “deep reforms” to its economy, including increasing the participation of the private sector and foreign investment, but stressed that these changes were being made because Havana considered them necessary for the country rather than in response to external pressure.
He also used Cuba’s participation in the BRICS summit as a platform to argue for greater cooperation among countries of the Global South.
Cuba is attending the summit for the first time as a BRICS partner country under India’s chairmanship. Mendez said the grouping offered an opportunity to highlight Cuba’s difficulties under the US blockade while developing economic relationships with other countries.
“We are very open to have these meetings,” Mendez said of Washington, but added that the existing channels of communication could not yet be described as negotiations because “we don’t have an agenda” or results.
Mendez said Cuba’s economic difficulties were being felt in energy, water and food supplies, and argued that the blockade was also hurting American and other foreign companies seeking to do business with Cuba.
“What we are offering to American companies and their companies around the world is the opportunity to do business in Cuba,” he said, describing the goal as a “win-win” relationship.
For India, Mendez identified three areas where he sees particularly strong opportunities: biotechnology, energy and food production.
He said Cuba and India had significant capabilities in biotechnology and that the two countries could expand cooperation in areas including vaccines and cancer-related research.
Energy is another priority, as Cuba seeks to address its electricity-supply problems while increasing the share of renewable sources in its power-generation mix. Mendez said Indian companies could participate in that transformation.
The third area is food production. Cuba currently imports food for its population but, Mendez argued, has the land, climate, people and knowledge needed to increase domestic production and potentially develop exports.
“We are working in these three fields,” he said.
Mendez also highlighted Cuba’s economic ties with Russia, saying Havana wanted to deepen the relationship through business opportunities for Russian and Cuban companies rather than relying solely on support or humanitarian assistance.
Despite the constraints imposed by the US blockade, Mendez said more than 300 foreign-invested businesses are currently active in Cuba and that Havana is seeking to make the investment environment more flexible and competitive.
For Cuba, the BRICS platform is therefore not simply diplomatic. It is also an attempt to expand economic partnerships, attract investment and demonstrate that it remains open for business despite US pressure.