Havana (AFP) – Despite the tensions, Cuba and the United States continue their talks and "recently" held discussions at a high diplomatic level in Havana, an official from the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed this Monday.

First modification: 04/21/2026 - 12:45

"A meeting between delegations from Cuba and the United States was recently held here in Cuba," Alejandro García, director of Cuba-US bilateral affairs at the Foreign Ministry, told the official newspaper Granma, confirming information published in the US press.

García, who referred to the negotiations as "a sensitive issue" that is handled with "discretion," noted that the meeting took place at a high diplomatic level: "On the American side, assistant secretaries of the State Department participated and on the Cuban side, at the level of vice minister of Foreign Affairs."

On Friday, the American media Axios published an article stating that United States officials had held a meeting in Havana on April 10 with officials from the island, including Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, grandson of former leader Raúl Castro.

Without performing official functions within the government, Rodríguez had already been mentioned by US media for maintaining secret contacts with the team of the head of US diplomacy, Marco Rubio.

On Thursday, Raúl Castro's daughter, Mariela Castro, told reporters that her father participated in "the analysis for decision-making" in the context of these conversations.

Axios, citing a State Department official, stated that during the recent meeting in Havana, US diplomats had put several demands on the table, including the release of political prisoners.

The island's foreign ministry denied these claims in statements this Monday.

"In the framework of the meeting, none of the parties established deadlines or made compelling statements, as has been mentioned by the American media. The entire exchange took place in a respectful and professional manner," García assured.

"The elimination of the energy siege against the country was a top priority issue for our delegation. This act of economic coercion is an unjustified punishment for the entire Cuban population," García added.

- "Blackmail"-

He also denounced Washington's "blackmail" against countries that wish to export oil to Cuba.

The United States and Cuba have been holding talks for several weeks, in a context of worsening tensions between both neighbors and ideological enemies.

In addition to the US embargo in force since 1962, Washington – which does not hide its desire to see a change of regime in Havana – has imposed drastic restrictions on its oil imports on Cuba since January. However, a Russian oil tanker arrived in Cuba at the end of March.

While President Donald Trump assured since mid-January that talks were underway with senior officials on the island, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel ended up confirming these contacts two months later.

On the eve of this confirmation, Havana announced the release of 51 prisoners as a sign of "good will" towards the Vatican, historical mediator between both countries, and later, on April 4, the granting of pardon to more than 2,000 prisoners as a "humanitarian and sovereign gesture" on the occasion of Holy Week.

Non-governmental organizations defending human rights denounced the lack of transparency in the release process. The Miami-based Cubalex organization recently indicated that, of the 51 announced releases, it had only been able to confirm the release of "24 political prisoners" and that no detainee for political reasons had been pardoned.

In a context of strong tension between both countries, Havana also announced in mid-March that Cubans living abroad and their descendants, particularly the immigrant community in the United States, could invest on the island and own companies in numerous sectors, including agriculture and banking.

The head of US diplomacy, Marco Rubio – of Cuban origin and a firm opponent of communist power in Havana – considered that these measures were far from being "sufficient" and called for a "drastic" economic and political change on the island.

© 2026 AFP

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