Scoop: Inside the historic U.S.-Cuba negotiations in Havana
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U.S. State Department officials met in Havana with Cuban apparatchiks —including the grandson of aging strongman Raul Castro— to urge democratic and economic freedoms and warn of the risks of not heeding their advice, Axios has learned.
- The U.S. delegation also offered to help restore internet services by setting up Starlink satellite services.
Why it matters: The meeting last Friday itself marks a diplomatic breakthrough because it's the first time a U.S. government plane has touched down since President Obama visited a decade ago in an effort for rapprochement.
- This time, Cuba is closer to societal collapse than ever, President Trump is in office with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and they're far less inclined to make concessions.
Zoom in: A senior State Department official told Axios that multiple meetings took place but would not name the participants, except for one —Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, the grandson of Castro.
- Known as Raulito and nicknamed "El Cangrejo" ("the crab"), the younger Castro is seen by the U.S. as a de facto spokesman for his grandfather, who remains the real power in Cuba, as Axios first reported.
- The U.S. officials impressed on the Castro regime that "the Cuban economy is in free fall and that the island's ruling elites have a small window to make key U.S. backed reforms before circumstances irreversibly worsen," the official told Axios.
The big picture: Aside from the offer of Starlink access and a discussion of Cuba's need to reform its economic and governing system, the State Department officials also reiterated longstanding U.S. policy to help eliminate the Cuban embargo. They include:
- Compensating U.S. residents and corporations whose assets and properties were confiscated after the 1959 Revolution.
- The release of political prisoners.
- Ensuring the Cuban people greater political freedoms, which would eventually include free and fair elections.
Friction point: U.S. officials also expressed "concerns about foreign intelligence, military, and terror groups operating with Cuban governmental permission less than 100 miles from the American homeland," the official said.
The bottom line: Without directly threatening the Cuban officials, the U.S. also made clear that Trump's government will not allow a disaster to occur on the island 90 miles south of Key West.
- "President Trump is committed to pursuing a diplomatic solution, if possible, but will not let the island collapse into a major national security threat if Cuba's leaders are unwilling or unable to act," the official said.
This is a developing story, check for updates.
