Is It Happening? Cuban Regime Makes a Big Announcement
By Sarah AndersonOn Thursday night, the Cuban regime said that it would make a big announcement at 7:30 a.m. on Friday. A lot of Cuban exiles, opposition members, and journalists believed it would probably be more of the same old propaganda about how help is coming — parts of the country haven't had power in many days — and while it kind of was, this time it was something a little different, too.
The Cuban "president," Miguel Díaz-Canel, made yet another rare appearance on state TV and confirmed that the regime is currently in talks with the United States. He said, "There are international factors that have facilitated these talks," and said the goal is "first and foremost, to identify the bilateral problems that need a solution."
After weeks of denying any sort of U.S. negotiations, this is the first time he's admitted they're happening. He called it a "very sensitive process that is being approached with responsibility and great sensitivity."
However, he painted them as bilateral talks, as if each country were equal, despite the fact that Cuba is down on its knees.
Díaz-Canel also admitted that the country has not received any oil in three months and is almost out of reserves.
What's interesting is that Raúl Castro's grandson, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, aka El Cangrejo or "The Crab," was at Díaz-Canel's side during the announcement. He and Marco Rubio have allegedly been having backchannel talks in recent weeks, and Rubio's team even supposedly met with the young Castro when Rubio was in the Caribbean in late February.
Of course, Donald Trump has been floating the idea of a "friendly takeover" of Cuba for weeks and has said that Rubio is currently working on that.
However, right now, this unusual announcement feels more like appeasement than any sort of concession. The regime is backed into a corner, and it doesn't really have a leg to stand on at the moment. It's nervous, shaky, and sees the writing on the wall.
Either way, its days are numbered. These are the same types of actions made by all of the crumbling regimes of the past.
More importantly, the Cuban citizens have lost their fear, and the regime isn't just feeling the pressure from Trump and Rubio. Thursday night was night seven of protests across Havana and the rest of the nation, and they grow bigger, louder, and braver each night. And they're not just protesting the fact that they have no food, power, or water. They are protesting communism and the tyranny under which they live. They're calling for Trump and the United States to intervene. They're demanding that the "Revolution" come to an end after nearly 70 years.
Here's video from Thursday night:
Cuba sigue protestando.
— Rosa María Payá A. (@RosaMariaPaya) March 13, 2026
Mi barrio en la calle.
Los cubanos sabemos que queremos y queremos libertad, ni un milímetro menos.pic.twitter.com/19wH7S4FTf
"I regret that there are people who, amidst this discontent, which we acknowledge is legitimate, respond by insulting the Revolution, the institution," Díaz-Canel said in response to the protests. "The blame does not lie with the government, it does not lie with the Revolution. The blame lies with the energy blockade that has been imposed on us."
Sure, Jan. Same old talking points.
The other big announcement is that the regime is supposedly releasing 51 political prisoners as what it claims is a "gesture of goodwill" to the Vatican, though this feels like more appeasement. No other information regarding who these prisoners are, aside from the fact that they have served most of their sentences and have been well-behaved, has been announced. And human rights groups claim that there are over 1,200 more still detained, including some minors, so this is just more theater.
Ultimately, the only thing all of his proves so far is that Trump and Rubio's pressure is working, the regime is nervous, and Cuba will finally reach a turning point this year, thanks to our president and Secretary of State. Let's hope it comes soon.
Original Here |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐