Díaz-Canel rejected Trump’s threats and emphasized his commitment to defending Cuba’s independence and sovereignty.
Published January 12, 2026
Cuban President Miguel Díaz Canel said there are currently no talks between Havana and the United States as US President Donald Trump has stepped up his threats against Cuba in the wake of the attack on Venezuela.
Díaz-Canel said in a social media post on Monday that day-to-day coordination between Cuba and the United States regarding migration continues, but there are currently no large-scale talks.
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“We remain ready to maintain serious and responsible dialogue with the various administrations of the United States, including the current administration, based on the principles of sovereign equality, mutual respect, and international law,” Díaz-Canel said.
He added that the relationship between the United States and Cuba should be based on international law and not on “hostility, intimidation, or economic coercion.”
President Trump said the United States may increase pressure on Cuba after the United States abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3 and killed at least 100 people, including 32 members of the Cuban security forces stationed in the country for security cooperation.
The US president said on Sunday that the Havana government should “make an agreement” with the United States before it is “too late” to cut off oil supplies from Venezuela to Cuba. President Trump also told reporters that the U.S. is “talking to Cuba,” but gave no further details.
Díaz-Canel responded to Trump’s comments on Sunday by saying Cuba is a “free, independent and sovereign” country and will defend itself “to the last drop of our blood.”
Venezuelan oil is a critical economic lifeline for isolated Cuba, which is under heavy U.S. sanctions, and was providing 35,000 barrels of oil a day before the U.S. attack, Jorge Pinon of the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin estimates.
Pinon, who tracks shipments, also estimates that Mexico supplies Cuba with about 5,500 barrels of oil per day, while Russia supplies 7,500 barrels.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has previously said that although the U.S. attack on Venezuela has increased the relative importance of Mexican oil to Cuba, Mexico has not increased oil sales to Havana.
Sheinbaum, who has responded to Trump’s recent threats about possible military strikes against criminal organizations in Mexico by firmly asserting Mexico’s sovereignty, said he met with Trump on Monday to discuss cooperation on issues such as trade, security and drug trafficking.
“I had a very good conversation with President Donald Trump,” Sheinbaum said in a social media post, adding that the meeting also included security discussions “regarding the sovereignty of our country.”
“Cooperation and collaboration within a framework of mutual respect always yields results,” she said.
