An American delegation recently met with Cuban government officials in Havana, marking a renewed diplomatic push even as U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to intervene and Cuba's leader said this week that his country is prepared to fight if that should happen. The talks represent a critical moment for the island nation's 11 million residents, who face deepening economic hardship amid what the Trump administration describes as a U.S. energy blockade.
A senior State Department official met with the grandson of retired Cuban leader Raúl Castro last week during the trip, according to a department official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke Friday on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. The official did not say who from the U.S. met with Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, whose grandfather is believed to play an influential role in the Cuban government despite not holding an official post. A second U.S. official said Secretary of State Marco Rubio was not part of the delegation that visited Havana. U.S. officials have previously said Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants and a longtime Cuba hawk, met the younger Castro in the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis in February.
Demands and Diplomatic Pressure
During last week's extraordinary diplomatic push, which was reported earlier by Axios, the U.S. delegation urged Cuba to make major changes to its economy and way of governing because it would not let the island nation become a national security threat in the region, the State Department official said. It marked the first U.S. government flight to land in Cuba other than at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay since 2016.
Cuba's crises have deepened following a U.S. energy blockade, coming as the Trump administration has described its government as ineffective and abusive. In return for easing sanctions, U.S. demands have included an end to political repression, a release of political prisoners and a liberalization of the island's ailing economy. Along with those similar topics, the sides last week also discussed a U.S. proposal to provide free and reliable internet to the island through a Starlink satellite connection, the State Department official said.
Escalating Threats and Response
The talks were revealed after Trump said earlier this week that his administration could focus on Cuba after the war in Iran ends. "We may stop by Cuba after we finish with this," he said. He described it as a "failing nation" and asserted that it has "been a terribly run country for a long time."
In response, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said the U.S. has no valid reason to carry out a military attack against the island or attempt to depose him but that the country was ready to fight back if needed. "The moment is extremely challenging and calls upon us once again, as on April 16, 1961, to be ready to confront serious threats, including military aggression. We do not want it, but it is our duty to prepare to avoid it and, if it becomes inevitable, to defeat it," Díaz-Canel said. He was speaking during a rally that drew hundreds of people to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the declaration of the Cuban Revolution's socialist essence.
The Cuban Foreign Ministry didn't immediately respond to messages seeking comment about the talks last week.
Why This Matters:
The renewed diplomatic engagement between Washington and Havana comes at a moment when ordinary Cubans face severe economic hardship, exacerbated by what the Trump administration acknowledges is a U.S. energy blockade. While dialogue offers potential pathways to easing sanctions that directly affect civilians' access to basic necessities, the simultaneous threat of military intervention raises profound concerns about the rights and safety of millions of people caught between geopolitical tensions. The proposed internet access through Starlink could represent meaningful infrastructure support for a population with limited connectivity, but the broader framework of demands and threats underscores how diplomatic pressure can affect vulnerable populations. The fact that this marks the first U.S. government flight to Cuba in a decade beyond Guantanamo Bay signals both the significance and fragility of current diplomatic efforts, while Trump's public threats of intervention following a war in Iran highlight the precarious position of Cuban civilians who would bear the consequences of any military escalation.