Overview
- In a clip aired Thursday, the Cuban president told NBC’s Kristen Welker that “stepping down is not part of our vocabulary” and rejected U.S. demands tied to his resignation.
- Cuban and U.S. officials have held early contacts that Havana’s deputy foreign minister called “very preliminary,” and a White House official said Cuba’s leaders want to make a deal.
- Trump has tightened pressure by choking off Venezuelan oil, threatening tariffs on any supplier to Cuba, and calling the island a “failing nation” while floating a “friendly takeover.”
- Power cuts have halted surgeries and disrupted water service, leaving more than 96,000 people, including 11,000 children, waiting for operations because hospitals cannot count on steady electricity.
- Russia sent a crude tanker in late March, the first in three months, and promised a second shipment, which offers only temporary relief to severe fuel shortages.