The Donald Trump administration is growing increasingly frustrated by the lack of tangible progress in its negotiations with the Cuban regime, despite ramping up sanctions and diplomatic pressure, according to a Bloomberg report released on Thursday.
Anonymous sources cited by the financial news outlet indicate that U.S. negotiators are facing significant challenges navigating what they perceive as competing factions within the Cuban power structure: the Castro family, the military, the Communist Party bureaucracy, and descendants of other revolutionary leaders.
Despite conducting multiple rounds of negotiations in recent months, both sides have been unable to achieve any decisive breakthroughs.
Last month, a delegation from the U.S. State Department traveled to Havana to meet with Cuba’s Foreign Ministry and Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, the grandson of Raúl Castro, also known as "The Crab," and nephew of Alejandro Castro Espín.
This marked the first official U.S. visit since the Obama administration.
U.S. Demands and Cuban Resistance
President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are pushing for the removal of Miguel Díaz-Canel and the Castro family from power, the economic and political opening of the island, compensation for assets expropriated since 1959, and the release of political prisoners.
According to one source, this objective is complicated by the lack of a credible internal opposition within the island.
Meanwhile, Washington has ramped up sanctions, as Bloomberg highlighted. Last week, the U.S. directly targeted GAESA, the military-controlled conglomerate that dominates between 40% and 70% of Cuba’s formal economy.
Escalating Economic Measures
The strategy mirrors the approach used against Venezuela, where the U.S. began seizing oil tankers benefiting Nicolás Maduro and his family.
Foreign businesses operating in Cuba, including Spanish hotel operators, have until June 5 to sever ties with the military conglomerate or face secondary sanctions.
The island's energy crisis exacerbates the situation. On Thursday, Cuban Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy publicly admitted: "We have absolutely no fuel, we have absolutely no diesel."
The electric generation deficit reached a record 2,174 MW, leaving about 70% of the nation without power. Major international shipping companies have halted operations and bookings to Cuba following sanctions against GAESA, further isolating the regime.
Political and Humanitarian Tensions
Marco Rubio also accused Havana of blocking a $100 million humanitarian aid offer channeled through the Catholic Church. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez dismissed the proposal as a "fable."
When consulted by Bloomberg, a White House official referred to Trump's Tuesday remarks, in which the president described Cuba as a "failed nation" mismanaged for years, asserting that the U.S. would make a deal "at the right time."
Brian Fonseca, director of the public policy institute at Florida International University, succinctly summarized the stalemate: "Economic coercion and diplomatic pressure have yet to shake things up."
In a more direct tone during a Fox News interview on Wednesday, Rubio stated, "We'll give them a chance. But I don't think it's going to happen. I don't think we can change Cuba's trajectory while these people are in charge of the regime."
Key Questions on U.S.-Cuba Relations
What challenges are U.S. negotiators facing in Cuba?
U.S. negotiators are struggling to navigate the competing factions within Cuba's power structure, including the Castro family, the military, the Communist Party bureaucracy, and other revolutionary leaders' descendants.
What are the main goals of the Trump administration regarding Cuba?
The Trump administration aims to remove Miguel Díaz-Canel and the Castro family from power, open the island economically and politically, secure compensation for expropriated assets, and achieve the release of political prisoners.
How are U.S. sanctions affecting the Cuban economy?
U.S. sanctions are directly targeting GAESA, a military-controlled conglomerate, and foreign businesses in Cuba, which has led to halted operations and bookings by major international shipping companies, increasing Cuba's economic isolation.