Cuba's foreign minister says talks with the US are "not taking place" as fuel shortages and severe power outages continue

[São Paulo Current Affairs] On the 7th, Foreign Minister Rodríguez of the Caribbean island nation of Cuba announced that there are currently ``no'' discussions with the U.S. government, which has a hostile relationship with the United States. Since January of this year, the Trump administration, which views Cuba as an enemy due to its anti-American leftists, has tightened its economic blockade, including cutting off oil supplies. Cuba continues to face severe fuel shortages, causing large-scale power outages and water shortages. The United States criticizes Cuba's one-party dictatorship, the Communist Party, and calls for it to become a "normally functioning democratic state" (Secretary of State Rubio).

Rodriguez explained at a press conference that no "agenda or roadmap" has been set for talks with the United States. Although there has been no progress, he emphasized that he intends to continue contact with the US administration.

It also points out that the damage caused by the U.S. economic blockade will amount to approximately $8 billion (approximately 1.2 trillion yen) in the year from March 2025 to the end of February 2026. He said that due to fuel shortages, people continue to have electricity for only two to three hours a day, and criticized the United States' "collective punishment."

In March of this year, Cuba announced that it had begun dialogue with the US government. At the end of June, Rodriguez acknowledged that talks with the United States had stalled, saying there had been "no progress."