MIAMI (WSVN) - As the economic crisis in Cuba continues to worsen, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel held a press conference where he insisted he won’t give in to any demands from the Trump administration and warned his people that the country will enter some difficult times, but they are ready to defend themselves.
Thursday’s press conference was a rare moment for Díaz-Canel, whose country has been in free fall in recent years.
“We have always had to operate amidst challenges and constraints that are not imposed on anyone else in the world, much less for such a prolonged period,” he said in Spanish during the press conference.
The island country was already suffering massive blackouts and shortages before President Donald Trump signed an executive order to cut oil supply to the nation in an effort to begin diplomatic talks.
Oil coming from Venezuela to Cuba has been completely stopped since the U.S. conducted a military operation in January which captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and took control of its oil markets, increasing the dire economic landscape for Cuba.
Additionally, the Trump administration has placed diplomatic pressure on Mexico to cut off its oil shipments to the island nation. Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said Wednesday that her government is using diplomatic channels to resolve the issue.
The economic turmoil has left the Cuban people reeling as they are forced into darkness during prolonged scheduled blackouts that Cuba’s leaders said are aimed at conserving energy on the island.
Díaz-Canel said Thursday that they’re securing support from international allies to help them weather the economic storm.
The Trump administration has set its sights on Cuba since the Maduro raid.
“Are you trying to choke off Cuba?” a reporter asked Trump during an event late last month.
“I don’t know. The word ‘choke off’ is awfully tough,” he said.
Trump believes Cuba is in its final legs before eventually collapsing.
“Cuba is a failing nation, and you have to feel bad for Cuba. They’ve treated people very badly. We have a lot of Cuban-Americans who really were treated very badly, and they’d probably like to go back,” he said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month that regime change in Cuba is something the U.S. would encourage.
“I think we would love to see the regime there change. That doesn’t mean that we’re going to make a change, but we would love to see a change,” he said.
As pressure mounts, Cuba’s leader said the island nation is open to dialogue with the United States but without any pressure.
“Cuba is open to dialogue with the United States on any of the topics that need to be discussed. Under what conditions? Without pressure. Under pressure, no dialogue is possible,” said Díaz-Canel.
Locally, City of Hialeah Mayor Bryan Calvo said his team is already preparing for celebrations if the Cuban regime were to fall. Hialeah has the highest Cuban population in the country.
“I’ll be receiving an operational briefing from our police chief and our fire chief as to what some of the best practices are that our residents or anyone from the South Florida area who wishes to come and celebrate this momentous and historic occasion when it occurs,” said Calvo.
The U.S. announced Thursday a $6 million shipment of humanitarian aid to Cuba, mainly to the eastern part of the island, which was hit hard by Hurricane Melissa last year. U.S. officials said the embassy will monitor the aid to ensure it isn’t diverted or politicized by the Cuban government.
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.