Díaz-Canel Stands Firm Against U.S. Demands for Political Reforms

In a recent interview with NBC News' Kristen Welker, conducted in Havana for the program Meet the Press, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel dismissed U.S. conditions for normalizing bilateral relations. These conditions include the release of political prisoners, the establishment of multiparty elections, and the creation of a free press.

Welker pressed Díaz-Canel on these specific demands from the United States, but the Cuban president remained unwavering, refusing to make any commitments. "I also pressed President Díaz-Canel on the changes the United States says are necessary to normalize relations with Cuba," Welker stated. "He was not willing to commit to any of those demands."

This interview marks a historic moment, as it is the first time in decades that a Cuban leader has spoken to a U.S. television network. The last Cuban leader to appear on Meet the Press was Fidel Castro in 1959. Initial segments aired Thursday at 4 p.m. Eastern on Meet the Press NOW and NBC Nightly News, with the full version set to air on Sunday.

During the interview, Welker questioned whether Díaz-Canel would consider stepping down "to save Cuba," prompting an irritated response. "Is this your question or the U.S. State Department's?" he retorted. "In Cuba, leaders are not elected by the U.S. government, but by the sovereign Cuban people." He added firmly, "Resignation is not part of our vocabulary."

However, Díaz-Canel did hint at a hypothetical scenario in which he might leave office: "If the Cuban people believe I am unfit for the position, that I have no reason to be here, then I should not hold this position of president. I will answer to them."

Welker noted that she has posed similar questions to former President Donald Trump. Díaz-Canel’s refusal to meet U.S. demands is unsurprising, as Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío previously stated on March 22 that "in Cuba, we are not discussing prisoners in our negotiations with the United States. It is an internal matter."

Continuing U.S. Pressure on Cuba

The interview comes amid heightened pressure from the Trump administration on Havana. Since January 2026, the U.S. has implemented over 240 new sanctions against the Cuban regime. Executive Order 14380, signed on January 29, designates Cuba as an "extraordinary threat" to national security and imposes tariffs on countries supplying it with oil. Trump has projected the regime's downfall imminently, declaring on March 27 that "Cuba is next."

Despite this pressure, the State Department and White House confirmed ongoing high-level talks between the two nations, involving Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Meanwhile, the Cuban regime remains steadfast in its refusal to negotiate on political prisoners. As of late February 2026, Prisoners Defenders reported 1,214 political prisoners in Cuba, with Justicia 11J estimating at least 760, including 358 detained during the July 11, 2021 protests.

Human Rights Concerns in Cuba

The Easter pardon in Cuba benefited 2,010 individuals convicted of common crimes, yet did not extend to any political prisoners, according to the Cuban Human Rights Observatory, Prisoners Defenders, and Cubalex. In March, Díaz-Canel announced the release of 51 prisoners following Vatican mediation, a number deemed "minimal" by human rights organizations compared to the more than 1,200 recognized political prisoners.

The opposition campaign "Let Them Go," led by Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and José Daniel Ferrer of the Patriotic Union of Cuba, demands exactly what Díaz-Canel refused to ensure in the NBC interview: free elections and the release of all political prisoners.