Cuban President Díaz-Canel Rejects US Pressure, Refuses To Step Down

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel rejected calls from the Trump administration to step down.

“Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel says he will not bow to pressure by the United States to resign”

Al Jazeera

He told NBC News that stepping down is not part of our vocabulary.

Al Jazeera

He insisted Cuba is a free sovereign state not elected by the U.S. government.

The U.S. had imposed a virtual oil blockade on the island.

Russia delivered 730,000 barrels of crude oil to Cuba in late March.

U.S. and Cuban officials acknowledged talks while Trump and Rubio demanded regime change.

A White House official said Cuba is a failing nation.

Anadolu Ajansı

Rubio said Cubans can only be successful if they leave the country.

The Cuban government announced limited economic reforms and the release of over 2,000 prisoners.

Human rights groups said no political prisoners had been freed.

Russia insisted it would never abandon its ally Cuba.

“The president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, said that he would not resign from his post during an interview with the NBC television network”

ANR

Ryabkov said Russia has no plans to walk away from the western hemisphere.

The energy blockade had plunged Cuba into an economic crisis.

Díaz-Canel said the U.S. should recognize how much the policies have cost the Cuban people.

The interview was part of a longer segment scheduled to air on Sunday.