Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez appeared before national and international press to address pressing issues, including the U.S. energy blockade, ties with Venezuela, and prospects for dialogue with Washington. He highlighted Cuba's resistance to imperial pressures and the international solidarity it has garnered. He stressed that Cuba is not alone in facing this crisis.
Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba's Central Committee and President of the Republic, fielded questions on Cuba's complex reality, worsened by the U.S. military aggression against Venezuela and the recent oil blockade on the island.
He dismissed U.S. theories of collapse in Cuba as constructs aimed at overthrowing the Revolution through economic strangulation and military threats. He referenced the U.S. president: 'They said they had applied all possible pressure against Cuba, thereby acknowledging that there is no failed state, but rather a state that has faced, with great resistance, the maximum economic pressure from the world's hegemonic power'.
On Venezuela, Díaz-Canel clarified that the ties are not dependency but solidary collaboration, forged over 25 years via the Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement. It spans energy, education, health, and industry, leading to ALBA-TCP and Petrocaribe. The barter of medical services for fuel has been vital, though hampered by sanctions and the recent naval blockade preventing oil shipments.
'The relationship with Venezuela is not limited to an exchange of goods and services; it is one of cooperation and integration as brother nations', he stated.
Regarding international solidarity, he noted immediate backing from Russia, China, and others following the energy blockade announcement. 'Cuba is not alone; there are governments and institutions willing to collaborate, even as the enemy pursues every avenue', he assured.
Díaz-Canel called on the world to defend multilateralism against subjugation by force, pointing to a U.S.-led ideological, cultural, and media war. He urged the Global South to coordinate through blocs like BRICS and the Non-Aligned Movement.
Finally, he reaffirmed Cuba's openness to dialogue with the United States without pressures or preconditions, on equal terms and respecting sovereignty, on issues like migration, security, and the environment. This stance, inherited from Fidel Castro and Raúl Castro, aims for civilized neighborly relations benefiting both peoples.
