Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel tells NBC News that he will not step down
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel He told NBC News’ Meet the Press in his first interview with a US network, part of which was broadcast on Thursday, that he would not resign.
In a nearly five-minute clip that is part of a longer interview scheduled to air Sunday, journalist Kristen Welker asked Díaz-Canel if he “would be willing to resign if it meant savings.” Cuba. ”
Before answering, Díaz-Canel asked if he had asked this question of any other president in the world: “Is this a question coming from you, or is it coming from the State Department of the US government?”
Díaz-Canel added: “People in leadership positions in Cuba are not elected by the US government and the US government has no authority. We have a free, sovereign state.”
He said that he became president not because of “a personal ambition, a corporate ambition, or even a party ambition”, but on the instructions of the people.
“If the Cuban people understand that I am unfit for office, that there is no reason for me to be here, then I should not assume this presidential position, I will answer to them,” he said.
The interview comes at a time when tensions between Cuba and the United States remain high despite both sides accept negotiationsAlthough no details were shared.
Díaz-Canel accused the US government of implementing a “hostile policy” towards Cuba and said that “it is immoral to demand anything from Cuba”.
He said the United States must understand how much its policies have cost the Cuban people and how much they have deprived the American people of a normal relationship with the Cuban people.
Díaz-Canel said Cuba wants to engage in dialogue and discuss any issue unconditionally, adding that “we do not demand changes from our own political system, just as we do not demand changes from the American system, about which we have some doubts.”
Cuba blames US energy blockade deepening painThe lack of oil affects the island’s healthcare system, public transportation, and production of goods and services.
A Russian tanker carrying 730,000 barrels of crude oil in late March We arrived in CubaThis marks the island’s first oil shipment in three months. Russia promised to send a second tanker.
On the contrary Threatening tariffs in early January Regarding countries that sell or supply oil to Cuba, US President Donald Trump’s administration allowed the tanker to proceed.
“Cuba is done,” Trump said at the time. “They have a bad regime. They have a very bad and corrupt leadership, and it won’t matter if they get a boatload of oil.”
Cuba produces only 40% of the fuel it consumes and stopped receiving significant oil shipments from Venezuela after the United States attacked the South American country in early January. arrested its then leader.
