Overview
- A U.S. State Department team met in Havana last week with senior Cuban figures, including Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, and pitched reforms alongside a proposal to restore internet access using Starlink.
- Trump on Friday told a Phoenix crowd to expect a “new dawn for Cuba” and later suggested to reporters that potential military steps depend on what “military action” means, as news outlets reported unconfirmed Pentagon contingency planning based on anonymous sources.
- Cuban officials sought a private channel to Trump through a sealed letter carried by Havana businessman Roberto Carlos Chamizo González last week, but U.S. border officers in Miami seized the note and sent him back, according to multiple reports.
- The intercepted letter, described as formatted like a diplomatic note with an official seal, proposed economic and investment deals, asked for sanctions relief, and warned Cuba was preparing for a possible U.S. incursion, according to accounts citing U.S. officials.
- Mexico, Spain and Brazil urged respect for Cuba’s sovereignty and pledged more humanitarian aid, as Cuba grapples with fuel shortages and blackouts tied to tightened U.S. sanctions and the loss of Venezuelan oil.