The Cuban President says that recent talks were held with the United States to resolve differences

HAVANA (AP) — Cuba recently held talks with the U.S. government, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Friday, the first time the Caribbean nation has confirmed such speculation as it faces a severe energy crisis.

He watches: Trump indicated that the United States and Cuba would reach an agreement soon, after Rubio was “done” with Iran

Diaz-Canel said in a speech that the talks “were aimed at finding solutions through dialogue to the bilateral differences between our two countries. These exchanges were facilitated by international factors.”

He did not go into detail about those factors, or provide any details about the talks.

The White House did not respond to an immediate request for comment on the talks with Cuba.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his senior aides met late last month in the Caribbean with the grandson of retired Cuban leader Raul Castro, two US officials said Friday shortly after Diaz-Canel spoke.

The US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions, said Rubio met secretly with Raul Guillermo Rodríguez Castro on the sidelines of the CARICOM leaders’ meeting in St. Kitts and Nevis.

At the time, Rubio declined to say who, if anyone, he was talking to within or near the Cuban government.

The Cuban president said that no oil shipments had reached the island in the past three months, blaming them on the US energy blockade. He said that Cuba runs on natural gas, solar energy and thermal power plants, and that the depletion of fuel oil and diesel has forced two power plants to close and limited power generation in solar parks.

Read more: Airlines will no longer be able to refuel in Cuba, as US blockade worsens energy crisis on the island

The western region of Cuba was hit by a major power outage last week, leaving millions without power.

He said Cuba, which produces 40% of its oil, was generating energy itself, but it was not enough to meet demand.

The Cuban leader said that the lack of electricity had affected communications, education and transportation, and that the government had to postpone surgeries for tens of thousands of people as a result.

“The impact is huge,” Diaz-Canel said.

He said more than 115 bakeries across the island have been converted to run on wood or charcoal.

Díaz-Canel said 955 solar panels have been installed in rural homes and community centers, and that more solar systems will be operational before the end of March that will add 100 megawatts to Cuba’s crumbling electricity grid.

“Even with everything we are collecting, we still need oil,” he said.

Diaz-Canel noted that production output was also down.

Read more: Trump threatens to impose tariffs on any country that sells oil to Cuba, putting pressure on Mexico

He added: “Without energy, no country can produce at its normal levels.” “All of this means making adjustments to staffing.”

Last month, Cuba implemented strict fuel-saving measures.

Cubans in front of their television screens were amazed as they watched the president’s announcement regarding the US discussions, while some welcomed the development.

“Cubans are desperate,” said Elvis Hernandez, 62. “You can’t live without water or electricity. That’s why we want to reach a consensus. If there are talks, let them be fruitful. Let them achieve something good through those talks.”

“at the end of the line”

Diaz-Canel said the purpose of the talks was to identify and find solutions to “bilateral problems that require solutions based on their seriousness and impact.”

The president said that the goal is “to determine the extent of the parties’ readiness to take concrete measures for the benefit of the peoples of both countries. In addition, to identify areas of cooperation to confront threats and ensure security and peace for both countries, as well as in the region.”

He said that Cuba wants to implement the process on the basis of equality, respect for the political systems of the two countries, and “Cuba’s sovereignty and self-determination.”

Miguel Garcia, 65, was among those celebrating the news.

Read more: After Maduro’s ouster, Trump warned Cuba to “make a deal” before it was too late

“If all of this leads to agreements and solutions that will improve our lives, that’s even better, because the situation is very difficult now,” he said.

US President Donald Trump has, on several occasions, alluded to his administration’s discussions with Cuba. He said during an interview with reporters on January 11 that the United States is “talking with Cuba,” and has referred to those talks several times since then.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Friday that “this dialogue is necessary,” referring to the Cuban-American dialogue she has long advocated. When asked specifically whether Mexico played any role leading up to the talks, Sheinbaum was circumspect: “Let’s say we have strengthened the dialogue with the American and Cuban authorities.”

She said that her government continues to explore alternatives to sending oil to Cuba, and that “Mexico will continue to support the Cuban people in every way possible.”

The US State Department had no immediate comment on Diaz-Canel’s announcement.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban exiles, has been vocal on the issue, saying he is willing to talk with Cuban officials, but he refused to confirm reports that he spoke with Raul Castro’s grandson.

“I will not comment on any conversations we have had,” he said on February 25 in St. Kitts after meeting with Caribbean leaders. “Suffice it to say that the United States is always willing to speak with officials from any government that has information to share with us or views they wish to share with the United States.”

warning

Important oil shipments from Venezuela to Cuba were halted after the United States attacked the South American country and arrested then-President Nicolas Maduro.

Read more: Cubans organize a massive demonstration in Havana to denounce the US attack on Venezuela and demand the release of Maduro.

Since then, Trump and senior officials in his administration have been warning Cuba of a similar fate.

Trump told a crowd of Latin American leaders in Florida last week that Cuba was “at the end of the line” and that he looked forward to “big change” coming soon on the island.

Trump said: “They don’t have the money, they don’t have the oil. They have a bad philosophy. They have a bad system that has been bad for a long time.” “And they were getting money from Venezuela. They were getting oil from Venezuela, but they didn’t have any money from Venezuela.”

The recent power outage was attributed to a broken boiler at a thermal power plant, which led to the shutdown of Cuba’s electricity grid.

Authorities noted that some thermal power plants have been operating for more than three decades and receive little maintenance due to the high cost. Officials say US sanctions have also prevented the government from purchasing new equipment and specialized spare parts.

Visit the FBI

After his speech, Díaz-Canel took questions from a select group of government reporters.

Questions mostly focused on the escalating crises in Cuba, but one reporter asked about the recent shooting at a Florida-flagged boat in Cuban waters in which four out of 10 Cuban U.S. nationals were killed after the government accused them of opening fire on local forces.

Read more: Cuba says four people were killed in a shooting on a speedboat trying to sneak into the country

The fifth suspect later died of his wounds, according to the Cuban government.

Diaz-Canel said FBI officials will visit Cuba soon as the two countries continue to exchange information about the incident.

The other five suspects were arrested and face terrorism charges.

Diaz-Canel spoke just one day after the State Department announced it would release 51 prisoners in a move that stems from a spirit of goodwill and close ties with the Vatican.

“It is a sovereign exercise, no one imposes it on us,” Diaz-Canel said of the upcoming release. “It responds to our humanitarian call.”

Danica Cotto reported from San Jose, Costa Rica. Ariel Fernandez in Havana; Matthew Lee, Aamer Madhani, and Seung Min Kim in Washington; Maria Verza in Mexico City contributed to this report.