Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said Tuesday that recent negotiations with U.S. officials never included discussions about the island’s newly approved market-oriented reforms, emphasizing that the measures were adopted independently of Washington.

“The recently announced (measures) are a matter of total and absolute sovereignty,” Rodríguez said. “We have neither listened to nor are we interested in the U.S. government’s opinion on them.”

New Sanctions Follow Economic Reforms

Rodríguez argued that the reforms were followed not by improved bilateral relations but by additional U.S. sanctions.

Earlier this month, the United States imposed new sanctions on Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, other government officials and several companies considered important to Cuba’s struggling economy.

The sanctions came after Cuba’s Communist Party and the National Assembly of People’s Power approved 176 economic measures that represent the country’s most significant economic policy shift since the 1959 revolution.

The reforms expand opportunities for private enterprise, permit businesses to hire workers freely, authorize private banking activity and allow greater investment by Cubans living abroad.

Some of those measures align with long-standing U.S. calls for broader economic liberalization, although Rodríguez stressed they were adopted solely as domestic policy decisions.

Cuba Criticizes U.S. Policy Despite Diplomatic Contacts

Rodríguez acknowledged that previous meetings with U.S. officials had generally been conducted respectfully.

However, he said those discussions were overshadowed by what he described as continued hostile policies, including new sanctions, aggressive rhetoric and military threats directed at Cuba.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Rodríguez’s remarks.

UN Debate to Focus on U.S. Oil Embargo

During the same news conference, Rodríguez announced that the United Nations General Assembly is scheduled to hold a debate on July 7 concerning the oil embargo imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump in late January.

Rodríguez described the U.S. embargo and broader sanctions policy as a direct threat to the Cuban people and their economic well-being.

“The blockade and the policy of aggression and hostility of the United States government against Cuba are a threat to the existence and well-being of the Cuban people, and to the exercise of their human rights,” he said.

He also rejected any suggestion that Cuba poses a security threat to the United States, describing the U.S. as “a major military and nuclear power.”

Energy Restrictions Deepen Cuba’s Economic Challenges

Cuban officials say the oil embargo has intensified the country’s prolonged economic crisis.

According to the government, fuel shortages have contributed to extended nationwide power outages, fuel rationing and internet disruptions.

The restrictions have also affected transportation and other essential public services, leading to flight cancellations, suspended public transit, interruptions in garbage collection and water distribution, and reduced working hours across parts of the public sector.

The diplomatic impasse underscores continuing tensions between Havana and Washington despite Cuba’s recent economic reforms, with both governments remaining divided over sanctions, political conditions and the future direction of bilateral relations.

Tags: Cuba, United States, Bruno Rodríguez, Miguel Díaz-Canel, Donald Trump, United Nations, U.S. Sanctions, Oil Embargo, Cuba Economy, Havana, Foreign Relations, Diplomacy

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Officials announced that Valdés died on Sunday but did not disclose a cause of death. The veteran revolutionary was among the small group of leaders who participated in the movement that ultimately brought Fidel Castro to power and shaped Cuba’s political system for decades.

In a statement published by the official news portal Cubadebate, Cuban authorities praised Valdés for what they described as his dedication and loyalty to the revolutionary cause.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel also paid tribute, describing the loss as deeply personal and highlighting Valdés’ longstanding commitment to Fidel Castro and former President Raúl Castro.

Revolutionary Veteran

Born on April 28, 1932, in Artemisa, western Cuba, Valdés became involved in the revolutionary movement at an early age. At 21, he joined Fidel Castro’s 1953 assault on the Moncada Barracks, an event widely regarded as the beginning of the Cuban Revolution.

After the failed attack, Valdés continued to participate in the armed struggle that eventually led to the overthrow of Cuban leader Fulgencio Batista in 1959.

During the revolutionary campaign, he also fought under the command of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara and later became one of the few individuals granted the title Commander of the Revolution. He was also recognized as a Hero of the Republic of Cuba.

Decades of Influence

Following the revolution, Valdés held several senior positions within Cuba’s government and security apparatus. He served as interior minister and remained a significant figure within the ruling Communist Party.

His political influence diminished after a reported disagreement with Fidel Castro while serving as interior minister in 1986. Following the dispute, Valdés largely disappeared from public life and was no longer considered part of the country’s central leadership circle.

However, his political standing recovered in the following years. In 2003, he returned to the Council of State, marking a significant comeback within Cuba’s leadership structure.

Return to Power Under Raúl Castro

Valdés regained prominence after Raúl Castro assumed presidential responsibilities from his ailing brother in 2006.

One of Raúl Castro’s first major decisions was appointing Valdés to lead the telecommunications ministry. His influence continued to grow, and in 2009 he was elevated to the position of vice president.

Two years later, he was elected as the Communist Party’s third-ranking leader, behind only Raúl Castro and veteran revolutionary José Ramón Machado Ventura.

Despite his senior status, Valdés rarely appeared in public and was known for avoiding media interviews throughout much of his political career.

Legacy Linked to Cuba’s Revolutionary Generation

Valdés briefly re-emerged on the international stage in 1997 when he led a Cuban mission to Bolivia tasked with locating and repatriating the remains of Guevara, who had been killed there three decades earlier while attempting to promote revolutionary movements in South America.

His death marks the passing of another member of the generation that led Cuba’s revolution and shaped the country’s political direction throughout the second half of the twentieth century and into the modern era.

Tags: Cuba, Ramiro Valdés, Fidel Castro, Raúl Castro, Miguel Díaz-Canel, Cuban Revolution, Communist Party of Cuba, Che Guevara

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The policy package, approved Thursday during a Communist Party session, is expected to be submitted to Cuba’s National Assembly for consideration. According to officials, the proposal would expand opportunities for private businesses, grant greater autonomy to municipalities and state-owned enterprises, and introduce measures aimed at attracting additional foreign investment, including from Cubans living abroad.

The document has not yet been made public.

The announcement comes as Cuba confronts a prolonged economic crisis marked by power shortages and growing public frustration. In recent days, residents in several Havana neighborhoods protested recurring blackouts by banging pots and pans.

Government Cites External Pressure

President Miguel Díaz-Canel said the economic package was developed in response to the country’s current challenges and external pressures.

“Cuba resists heroically and creatively, but has endured for too long a barbaric, undeserved and unbearable punishment, to which is now added the threat of military aggression,” Díaz-Canel said in a speech delivered at the close of the Communist Party meeting. The speech was published Thursday.

Cuban officials approved the measures after months of increasing pressure from the United States and a series of high-level discussions between the two countries. Those talks reportedly included Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, grandson of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro.

The United States has maintained sanctions against Cuba and has also indicted Raúl Castro in connection with the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by Miami-based exiles.

Washington and Brussels Signal Continued Scrutiny

Speaking at a White House briefing, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Washington was closely monitoring developments on the island.

“We’re going to see what they do. And obviously, if they do one thing, we’re going to do something,” Vance said. “If they make smart decisions, we’re going to have a much better relationship with that island.”

Pressure from Europe also intensified on Thursday when lawmakers in the European Parliament approved a resolution condemning what it described as systematic repression by the Cuban government.

The resolution called for broad economic and political reforms and urged sanctions against Díaz-Canel and the leadership of GAESA, a business conglomerate operated by Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces. Both have already been sanctioned by the United States.

Reforms Draw Inspiration From China and Vietnam

Díaz-Canel said the emergency plan and related policy proposals were influenced by the experiences of China and Vietnam, two communist-led countries that have introduced market-oriented economic reforms while retaining one-party political systems.

The measures will now be presented to Cuba’s National Assembly during a special session that, according to officials, was convened without prior public notice, similar to the recently concluded Communist Party meeting.

The National Assembly is expected to debate the proposals as Cuban authorities seek ways to address economic difficulties while maintaining the country’s existing political system.

Tags: Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, Communist Party, Economic Reforms, United States, European Union, JD Vance, Havana

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