Top diplomat outlines path for engagement
WASHINGTON — Cuba’s highest-ranking diplomat in the United States said Havana is prepared to deepen economic cooperation with the Trump administration, even as Washington continues to demand political reforms.
In an interview with USA TODAY, Lianys Torres Rivera said Cuba is willing to explore a broad range of economic initiatives and invite U.S. participation in its ongoing economic transformation.
“There’s a huge range of issues that we can discuss with the U.S. that are, we’re pretty sure, for the benefit of the national interests of the U.S. and the national interest of Cuba,” Torres Rivera said. “So, the U.S. wants to be engaged in the economic transformation in Cuba? Let’s do it.”
She declined to discuss specifics of the ongoing talks but emphasized that Cuba will not compromise its sovereignty.
Sanctions relief at the center of negotiations
Torres Rivera identified several actions that could improve bilateral relations, including easing restrictions under the U.S. embargo, waiving Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, and removing Cuba from the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism. The embargo, first imposed in 1962 and codified into law in 1996, remains one of the longest-running sanctions regimes in U.S. history.
High-level discussions reportedly began after the U.S. imposed an oil blockade on Cuba two months ago. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been leading negotiations on the American side. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed talks were underway in mid-March.
Rubio has maintained that Cuba must shift away from communism to achieve sustainable economic development, arguing that economic and political freedoms are interconnected.
International pressure and executive authority
Cuba estimates it has lost more than $170 billion in revenue due to sanctions. In October, the United Nations General Assembly voted 165-7, with 12 abstentions, in favor of a nonbinding resolution urging the United States to end the embargo, marking the 33rd consecutive year such a measure has passed.
While lifting the embargo outright would require congressional approval, legal experts note that a president has broad authority to ease many restrictions through executive action. On Feb. 25, the Trump administration allowed U.S. petroleum products to be sold directly to Cuba’s private sector, signaling some flexibility.
“Any president could leave the embargo on Cuba like a piece of Swiss cheese,” said Robert Muse, a Washington attorney specializing in U.S.-Cuba law, suggesting that executive orders could significantly soften existing sanctions.
Reforms and restitution remain hurdles
Analysts say meaningful economic reform in Cuba would likely be required before broader sanctions relief. Potential measures include permitting foreign investors to hire Cuban workers directly and privatizing state-owned enterprises.
Another unresolved issue involves compensation claims related to properties nationalized in the 1960s. The U.S. government estimates nearly $2 billion is owed to approximately 6,000 claimants, though some estimates are higher. The Supreme Court heard arguments in related cases earlier this year.
“Serious reform on the island must go hand-in-hand with a serious lifting of the sanctions,” said Richard Feinberg of the University of California San Diego.
Torres Rivera framed the moment as an opportunity for recalibration. “President Trump has in his hands the opportunity of setting a relation with Cuba… that might benefit both countries,” she said. “He can be the one to do that.”
