HAVANA: President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Friday that Cuban and US officials recently held talks as President Donald Trump´s administration piles pressure on the communist island.
“Cuban officials recently held discussions with representatives of the United States government,” the Cuban president said during a meeting with the communist-governed island´s top authorities, broadcast on national television.
“These conversations have been aimed at seeking solutions -- through dialogue -- to the bilateral differences that exist between our two nations,” he added.
Diaz-Canel, who heads the Communist Party controlling the island nation, said “international factors have facilitated these exchanges.” He did not elaborate but Cuba is coming under intense economic and diplomatic pressure from the Trump administration.
The Republican president removed one of Cuba´s key allies from power in January with the military operation to topple Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
The United States is also clamping down on Cuba´s ability to import fuel, much of which came from Venezuela, adding to the economic misery in the Caribbean country.
Since the US captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January, removing Cuba’s most important foreign benefactor, Trump has cut off Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba and threatened to slap tariffs on any country that sells oil to Cuba.
