Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel confirms talks with the U.S.

HAVANA — Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed talks between the United States and Cuba in a speech Friday, the first time Havana has publicly acknowledged the meetings.

“These conversations are aimed at finding solutions to the bilateral disputes we have between the two nations through dialogue,” he said.

Díaz-Canel added that there are “international factors that have facilitated these exchanges.”

He said the aim of these conversations is to first identify bilateral issues that require a solution based on their level of severity and “find solutions to the issues that have been identified.”

The confirmation of meetings between the two countries follows comments by President Donald Trump and other top officials about the communist country. In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly said that the United States and Cuba are having high-level conversations, and he has also said that Cuba will “fall.”

Díaz-Canel said Cuba was ready to have these conversations “on the basis of equality and respect for the political systems of both countries, the sovereignty and self-determination of our governments.”

Díaz-Canel spoke about the dire situation in his country due to fuel shortages, saying fuel deliveries had not arrived on the island for three months. He acknowledged that some areas of the country experienced power cuts for more than 30 hours, affecting water pumping and impacting all economic and social activities. He said tens of thousands of people, including children, had their surgeries delayed due to the lack of electricity.

Díaz-Canel previously said the last oil shipment arrived in December, ahead of the US raid to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on January 3. Trump also blocked oil shipments to Cuba.

The lack of fuel has worsened an economic crisis on the island, which had already lasted for years.

The Cuban Foreign Ministry also announced in a statement Thursday evening that 51 prisoners will be released in the coming days in a spirit of goodwill and cited the close relations between Cuba and the Vatican. The prisoners have served a significant portion of their sentences, he said, and have maintained good behavior. The names of the prisoners have not been released.

The Vatican has previously facilitated or mediated negotiations between the United States and Cuba. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez recently met with Pope Lee XIV at the Vatican.

Orlando Matos reported from Havana and Carmen Sesin reported from Miami.