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(Bloomberg) — Cuba said it held meetings with US officials on the island in recent days as Washington pushes Havana to open up the state-controlled economy.
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Alejandro García del Toro, an assistant director at Cuba’s foreign ministry in charge of US affairs, told state-run newspaper Granma on Monday that the meeting had been “respectful and professional.”
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He denied any ultimatums were issued or deadlines set, and indicated his government is focused on ending the de-facto fuel blockade imposed by US President Donald Trump’s administration.
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State Department officials met with Cuban representatives including Raúl Guillermo Rodriguez Castro on April 10, according to a person familiar with the discussions who asked not to be identified without permission to speak publicly. The US was offering Starlink internet access if Cuba adopts economic reforms that stick, the person said.
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The State Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Rodriguez Castro, the grandson of 94-year-old revolutionary leader Raúl Castro, has emerged as a key figure in the standoff between Trump and Cuba’s communist government. Since capturing its principal ally in Venezuela in early January, the US has blocked all but one Russian tanker from delivering oil to the island — exacerbating chronic power outages and leading to a dearth of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.
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“The end of the energy blockade is an issue that’s of maximum importance to our delegation,” García del Toro said, calling that US measure “an act of economic coercion that unjustifiably punishes everyone in Cuba.”
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The April 10 meeting was first reported by Axios on Friday. USA Today said Sunday that the US officials gave Cuba a two-week deadline to release high-profile political prisoners.
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Starlink access might not be seen as a gift given the government in Havana tightly controls communication, and has banned the use of Internet satellite systems.
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Trump has said for months that Cuba’s 67-year-old regime must end, and has suggested that force might be used after the war in Iran is resolved.
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Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel argues there could be room for negotiations between the longtime foes, but insists the island’s leadership and system of government is not up for discussion.
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