The Cuban government rejected accusations that it threatened U.S. security and insisted it was ready to cooperate with the United States.
Cuba’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Monday calling for dialogue and stressing that the Caribbean island does not support “terrorism.” The declaration came amid rising tensions following the abduction of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro last month, and was part of President Donald Trump’s push for U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere.
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“The Cuban people and the American people benefit from constructive engagement, lawful cooperation and peaceful coexistence,” the Havana statement said.
“Cuba reaffirms its readiness to maintain a respectful and mutually beneficial dialogue aimed at concrete outcomes with the U.S. government, based on mutual interests and international law.”
The statement came hours after President Trump said diplomatic contacts with Cuba had been restored and that his administration was talking with “the highest-ranking people” in the Cuban government.
“Cuba has been a failed state for a long time, but now they don’t have Venezuela to support them,” Trump told reporters late Sunday.
Venezuela was Cuba’s biggest energy supplier, but the flow of oil to Venezuela has largely stopped since the U.S. military overthrew Maduro’s government.
The United States has also seized and impounded Venezuelan oil tankers in the Caribbean, an act that critics say amounts to piracy.
Beyond oil supplies, Cuba had close economic and security ties with the Maduro regime. Nearly 50 Cuban soldiers were killed in the abduction of the Venezuelan leader.
The Trump administration is pressuring Mexico to cut off oil supplies to Cuba. A full-scale energy siege could create a serious humanitarian crisis in the country.
“Malicious Actors”
Washington and Havana have been enemies since the rise of late President Fidel Castro after a 1959 communist revolution that overthrew U.S.-backed authoritarian leader Fulgencio Batista.
President Trump designated Cuba as a “state sponsor of terrorism” in 2021 during his first term.
Last week, the White House released a memorandum labeling the Cuban government as an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the United States.
The document accused Havana of collaborating with “malign actors” including China and Russia. This is despite the United States itself seeking to improve relations with Moscow and China. The recently released US National Defense Strategy downplayed the pair as a security threat.
“The Cuban regime continues to spread communist ideas, policies, and practices throughout the Western Hemisphere, threatening the foreign policy of the United States,” the White House memo said.
On Monday, the Cuban government denied these accusations and stressed that it does not host foreign military or intelligence bases.
“Cuba categorically declares that it will not harbor, support, finance or permit terrorist or extremist organizations,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“Our country maintains a zero-tolerance policy against terrorist financing and money laundering and is committed to preventing, detecting and combating illicit financial activities in accordance with international standards.”
The statement represents a softening of the tone of the American governments, which have long expressed opposition to the United States.
While the United States is openly pushing for control of Venezuela’s vast oil industry, President Trump has suggested that his biggest demands on Cuba relate to the treatment of Cuban Americans, a large Republican constituency in Florida.
“Many people in our country have been treated very badly by Cuba,” President Trump told reporters on Sunday.
“They all voted for me, so we want them to be treated well. We want them to go back to their homelands, where they haven’t seen their families or their homeland for decades.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Cuban-American and former Florida senator, is pushing a hard-line approach to Latin America.
On Sunday, Pope Leo said he was troubled by rising tensions between the United States and Cuba.
“I echo the message of the Cuban bishops and call on all responsible parties to promote honest and effective dialogue in order to avoid violence and any actions that could increase the suffering of our dear Cuban people,” the pope said in a social media post.
