HAVANA — Cuba’s government confirmed Monday that it recently met with U.S. officials on the island amid ongoing tensions over Washington’s energy blockade. Senior U.S. State Department officials had said last week that American diplomats flew to Cuba earlier in April for the first time since 2016 as part of a renewed diplomatic push; neither side has specified the exact date or all participants.
Alejandro García del Toro, deputy director general for U.S. affairs at Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the U.S. delegation included assistant secretaries of state and the Cuban delegation included officials at the deputy foreign minister level. He described the exchange as “respectfully and professionally” conducted and denied reports that the U.S. side issued threats or deadlines.
García del Toro said lifting the energy embargo was a top priority for Cuba. He called the measure “an unjustified punishment of the entire Cuban population” and “a form of global blackmail” against sovereign states that have the right to export fuel under normal trade rules.
Washington says it will not remove sanctions unless Cuba ends political repression, releases political prisoners and liberalizes its struggling economy. In late January, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on countries that sell or supply oil to Cuba and warned of possible intervention; Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said last week the country is prepared to fight if intervention occurs.