Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez

President Trump Directs Strengthening U.S. Policy Towards Cuba

On June 30, U.S. President Donald J. Trump directed a strengthening of U.S. policy regarding Cuba by issuing a National Security Presidential Memorandum and the Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Strengthens the Policy of the United States Toward Cuba.[1]

The Fact Sheet provides the following summary of the National Security Presidential Memorandum (HSPM):

“Strengthen the Policy of the U.S. toward Cuba”

“This NSPM restores and strengthens the robust Cuba policy from the President’s first term, reversing the Biden Administration’s revocation that eased pressure on the Cuban regime.”
“The NSPM ends economic practices that disproportionately benefit the Cuban government, military, intelligence, or security agencies at the expense of the Cuban people.”
- “Direct or indirect financial transactions with entities controlled by the Cuban military, such as Grupo de Administration Impresario S.A. (GAESA), and its affiliates are prohibited, with exceptions for transactions that advance U.S. policy goals or support the Cuban people.”
“It enforces the statutory ban on U.S. tourism to Cuba and ensures compliance through regular audits and mandatory record-keeping of all travel-related transactions for at least five years.”
“The NSPM supports the economic embargo of Cuba and opposes calls in the United Nations and other international forums for its termination.”
“The NSPM amplifies efforts to support the Cuban people through the expansion of internet services, free press, free enterprise, free association, and lawful travel.”
“It ensures the ‘Wet Foot, Dry Foot’ policy remains terminated to discourage dangerous, unlawful migration.”
“The NSPM ensures that engagement between the United States and Cuba advances the interests of the United States and the Cuban people, including through promoting human rights, fostering a private sector independent of government control, and enhancing national security.”
“The NSPM mandates a review of human rights abuses in Cuba, including unlawful detentions and inhumane treatment, and requires a report on fugitives from American justice living in Cuba or being harbored by the Cuban government.”

“Promoting A Stable, Prosperous, and Free Cuba:

“President Trump is committed to fostering a free and democratic Cuba, addressing the Cuban people’s long-standing suffering under a Communist regime.”

“The Cuban people have long suffered under a Communist regime that suppresses their legitimate aspirations for freedom and prosperity, arbitrarily detains dissidents, and holds political prisoners in inhumane conditions.”
“Violence and intimidation against dissidents occur with impunity, while families of political prisoners face retaliation for their advocacy,”
“The regime harasses worshippers, blocks free association by civil society organizations, and denies free speech, including through limited internet access and the absence of a free press.”
“The Cuban government harbors fugitives of American justice and fails to meet the basic requirements of a free and just society.”

“Holding the Cuban Regime Accountable:

“President Trump is continuing efforts from his first term to stand with the Cuban people and hold the regime accountable.”

“In his first term, President Trump implemented a robust policy towards Cuba, reversing the Obama Administration’s one-sided deal that eased restrictions without securing meaningful reforms for the Cuban people.”
“Now, President Trump is once again implementing a firm policy stance.
“President Trump is fulfilling his campaign promise: “As president, I will again stand with the people of Cuba in their long quest for justice, liberty and freedom.”
“President Trump also recently implemented a new travel ban that applies to Cuba.’”
“It lists Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism and cites its failure to cooperate or share sufficient law enforcement information with the United States, its historical refusal to accept back its removable nationals, and its high visa overstay rate.”

Public Commentary on these Measures[2]

Matthew Lee of the Associated Press noted that these changes were not surprising except for its call for the U.S. to find “ways to shut down all tourism to the island and to restrict educational tours to groups that are organized only by American citizens.”

The Trump administration also has made Cuba one of seven countries facing heightened restrictions on visitors and revoked temporary legal protections for about 300,000 Cubans, which had protected them from deportation. The administration also has announced visa restrictions on Cuban and foreign government officials involved in Cuba’s medical missions, which Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called ‘forced labor.’”

Lee quoted Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez as saying these U.S. measures “strengthens the aggression & economic blockade that punishes the whole Cuban people and is the main obstacle to our development. It’s a criminal behavior that violates the #Human rights of an entire nation.”

Lee also stated that Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio recently had said that the U.S. was “trying to discredit [Cuban] medical missions” and had “criticized reversal of policy of [U.S.] policy welcoming Cubans to the U.S.”

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[1] Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Strengthens the Policy of the United States Toward Cuba, White House (June 30, 2025). National Security Presidential Memorandum/NSPM-5, White House (June 30, 2025);

[2] Lee (AP), Trump moves to toughen US policy on Cuba, Wash. Post (June 30, 2025).

Cuban Speech to Friends of U.N. Charter

On February 25, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Parrilla gave the following speech at a meeting in New York City of the Group of Friends of the U.N. Charter.[1]

“In the current international juncture, it is necessary to reflect on the United Nations Organization that we have built and which celebrates this year its eightieth anniversary.

The aspiration to maintain peace, the purpose that guided the creation of the organization, remains a challenge. Tensions are rising, threats to international security are increasing and there are attempts to impose new forms of domination.”

“While trillions of dollars continue to be squandered in the arms race, fewer and fewer resources are allocated to the hundreds of millions of people who are victims of hunger and poverty, making it increasingly difficult to close the growing gap in wealth distribution.”

“Multilateralism is progressively weakening and the role of international organizations is being ignored. They are being threatened with conditioning and funding cuts.

“The current US administration has shown its contempt for the multilateral system and its institutions. Its shameful withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the World Health Organization, the Human Rights Council and the suspension of funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) are recent examples of this behavior.”

“By supporting the Palestinian genocide against the Palestinian people, the US government confirms its support to the philosophy of war and the doctrine of dispossession. Its plans to occupy Gaza and displace its population represent an escalation of ethnic cleansing, in flagrant violation of International Law.”

“The inaction of the Security Council in the face of these events damages the credibility of the UN.”

“I would like to propose that the Group of Friends of the Charter intervene at the upcoming Conference of the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to denounce the flagrant violations of International Humanitarian Law committed by the Occupying Power in the occupied Palestinian territories.”

“With the plans of domination announced by the new administration towards our region, the United States intends to launch a new imperialist offensive against the peoples of Our America, anchored in the archaic and interventionist Monroe Doctrine.”

“As part of this policy, we reject the decision, announced on January 20, to include Cuba again in the arbitrary and unilateral List of State Sponsor of Terrorism, a few days after the previous administration decided otherwise. Such a measure confirms the discredit of the aforementioned list; ignores the consistent demand of international voices, including this Group of Friends, and seeks to further tighten the impacts of the blockade against Cuba.”

“We invite the members of the Group of Friends to continue denouncing the new and dangerous imperialist attack against our region.”

“I would like to conclude by acknowledging Venezuela whose effective coordination has guided our works since its foundation. We also welcome the possibility of incorporating new members to the Group.”

“We support the work plan outlined for this year.”

“Cuba will continue to defend, firmly and consistently, the Charter of the United Nations and International Law, and will remain committed to the principles of the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace.”

The Group of Friends[2]

The Group “was launched on 06 July 2021, in New York [City], and, to date, it is composed of 18 Member States: Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, China, Cuba, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mali, Nicaragua, the State of Palestine, the Russian Federation, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Syria, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe. Angola and Cambodia were founding members of the Group of Friends.”

The Group members “agree that the Charter of the United Nations is both a milestone and a true act of faith that for the past 78 years has filled the entire international community with hope on the best of humanity and brings it together to ensure the common well-being of present and future generations. They consider that the purposes and principles enshrined therein are indispensable for preserving and promoting, among others, international peace and security, the rule of law, economic development and social progress, and all human rights for all, in an ever increasingly connected world.”

The members also ‘consider that multilateralism, which is at the core of the Charter, is currently under an unprecedented attack, which, in turn, threatens global peace and security. Nowadays, the world is seeing a growing resort to unilateralism, marked by isolationist and arbitrary actions, including the imposition of unilateral coercive measures or the withdrawal from landmark agreements and multilateral institutions, as well as by attempts to undermine critical efforts to tackle common and global challenges.”

“In addition, they believe that the international community is currently struggling with both the continued attempts to disown the diversity of our world and the very basic principles of international relations, and with the systematic violations to the norms of international law and the tenets of the Charter of the United Nations, in particular to the detriment of developing countries, by certain powers that seem to claim a non-existent “exceptionalism” that disregards, for instance, the principle of sovereign equality of States, in an attempt to establish a so-called “rules-based order” with norms that remain unknown and have not been necessarily agreed upon by States, as is the case with the set of norms and principles contained in the UN Charter, and which are the basis for modern-day international law.”

The Group has adopted the following set of its objectives:

“1. The Group of Friends, as part of the common quest of its Member States for making further progress towards achieving full respect for international law, shall strive to preserve, promote and defend the prevalence and validity of the UN Charter, which, in the current international juncture, has a renewed and even more important value and relevance.”

“2. The Group of Friends shall strive to ensure full, permanent and effective – and not selectively or conveniently – fulfillment of obligations under the UN Charter and compliance with its letter and spirit, conscious of the fact that this is the legal instrument with the greatest scope and legitimacy in the world, which has prevented and shall continue to prevent humankind from suffering once again the horrors and untold sorrow of the scourge of war.”

“3. The Group of Friends shall serve as a platform for, among others, promoting the prevalence of legality over force and for discussing, articulating possible means and coordinating joint initiatives for fostering respect for the principles of sovereignty, equality of States, non-interference in the internal affairs of States, peaceful settlement of disputes, and refraining from the use or threat of use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State, as enshrined in the UN Charter, as well as for the values of dialogue, tolerance and solidarity, mindful of the fact that these are all at the core of international relations and necessary for peaceful coexistence among nations.”

Cuban Reactions to the Cuban Foreign Minister’s Speech [3]

Diario de Cuba reported the following negative comments about the above speech from other Cubans:

Maritza Camero: “Creativity is non-existent and it is not worthy that resistance should be only from the people. Leaders should be the first examples of resistanceand if they look closely they will realize that they are not.”
Mara Piedras Velarde: ” It is easy to ask for resistance when you live with all the comforts” and Jorge Vega Ramos added: “What nerve! While they kill the majority of the people in life, they talk about resistance , and they live better than the millionaires.”
Luis Hernández Batista: ” Hypocrites are what they are. With their bellies full, they ask for resistance from a people in total miserydue to their ineptitude.”
Elizabeth Godínez: “From his comfort zone, not knowing what 23-hour blackouts are like and having all his needs covered, anyone can speak up and stand firm. In this country, people don’t lead by example, that’s why we are where we are. Oh, and when it’s his week in a hotel in Varadero, he (Bruno) will go there like Juan who kills himself, maintaining his selfless firmness.”
Fara Martha González Fernández: “What an absurd phrase, creative resistance! What would be the creative part? Seeing how we fade away in a more beautiful way?Or how do we make art with the hunger and misery we are experiencing? They are specialists in creating absurd concepts and empty discourses.”
Gonzalez Monyk: “I agree with being sovereign, but we have not had social justice for a long time, and resisting is becoming more difficult because many families do not have even the most basic things. Instead of talking about resistance, they should talk about changes, listening to the youngest, accepting ideas, changes to really get out of this dark and gloomy hole where we are, and do not talk to me about a blockade that has always been there and we have never been as bad as we are now.”
Jose Martinez: “What right is he talking about and what social justice, if they have just opened dollar stores that the people neither have nor are they paid for. The people resist because they have no right to protest against the blackouts of more than 20 hours and the misery and hunger in Cuba.

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[1] Statement by Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, Minister of Foreign Affairs at Group of Friends of the Charter of the United Nations, Feb. 25, 2025.

[2] About the Group of Friends of the Charter of the United Nations.

[3]The regime hammers at the UN with ‘creative reistance’ and Cubans are outraged: ‘they should talk about changes,’ Diario de Cuba (Feb. 26, 2025).

U.S. and Cuba Expand Their Competing Messages About Terrorism

As has been discussed in this blog, the U.S. has a long history of identifying Cuba as a “state sponsor of terrorism” except for the two-plus years that President Obama cancelled that designation, while Cuba has objected to that designation by the U.S. And this blog repeatedly also has objected to this U.S. designation.[1]

Recently there have been two additional competing exchanges by the two countries on the subject of terrorism that are discussed below: (1) U.N. officials arguing against the practice of one state’s identifying other states as sponsors of terrorism and (2) Cuba’s identifying certain Cubans living in the U.S. as terrorists.

U.N. Officials’ Criticism of States Listing Other States as Sponsors of Terrorism[2]

On February 8, 2024, a group of U.N.human rights officials urged the U.S. to review its legal framework that triggers specific sanctions against Cuba and other regimes that the U.S. has designated as state sponsors of terrorism.

This U.N. group said, “The unilateral designation itself runs counter to the fundamental principles of international law, including the principle of sovereign equality of States, the prohibition of intervention in the internal affairs of States and the principle of peaceful settlement of international disputes.”

According to this group, “Fundamental human rights, including the right to food, the right to health, the right to education, economic and social rights, the right to life and the right to development, are negatively affected by restrictions and ‘additional bans triggered’ by such designations.”

This group also asserted that “the designation especially affects countries already subject to other unilateral coercive measures and has potential catastrophic repercussions in the humanitarian and human rights spheres.”

This group’s members are Alena Douhan, special rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights; Michael Fakhri, special rapporteur on the right to food; Attiya Waris, independent expert on external debt, other international financial obligations and human rights; Cecilia M. Bailliet, independent expert on human rights and international solidarity, and Livingstone Sewanyana, independent expert on promoting a democratic and equitable international order.

As a retired attorney who for a number of years has attempted to provide diligent research on international human rights issues, especially as they involve Cuba, this blogger has never seen any source that corroborates the contention that international law forbids states from designating other states as sponsors of terrorism.

Are Some Cubans in U.S. “Terrorists”?[3]

Last December, the Cuban government published in its Official Gazette a ” national list of terrorists,” which included Cuban exiles living in the U.S. who were well-known Miami-based Cuban activists, media personalities and influencers critical of the Cuban government.

At the same time, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez accused the Biden administration of being ‘complicit in giving shelter, supporting and protecting’ these people,” who

“have been subjected to criminal investigations and are wanted by the Cuban authorities, based on their involvement in the promotion, planning, organization, financing, support or commission of acts carried out in the national territory or in other countries, based on acts of terrorism.”

That same month Granma, the Communist Party daily newspaper, accused the U.S. State Department and intelligence agencies of plotting violent acts against Cuba.

A U.S. State Department official responded, “We are aware of the list released by the Cuban government. Allegations that the United States is encouraging violent actions against the Cuban government are absurd.” The list produced by Cuba and the recent allegations are “the newest iteration of Cuban authorities’ efforts to belittle emigrants exercising their freedom of expression, including their freedom to criticize Cuba’s abysmal human rights record and relentless repression.” This U.S. official also said, “Establishing and increasing channels for law enforcement cooperation to address transnational threats also enhances U.S. advocacy for human rights. The United States integrates advocacy for human rights and human rights protections into all interactions with the Cuban government.” For example, the U.S. is “focused on urging the Cuban government to release the approximately 1,000 unjustly detained political prisoners it holds and to allow its citizens to exercise the full range of human rights as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which Cuba signed.”

U.S.-Cuba Law Enforcement Meeting[4]

On February 7, 2024, U.S. and Cuban officials met in Washington, D.C. to discuss law enforcement within the framework of their Law Enforcement Dialogue, which, the U.S. says, “enhances U.S. national security through better coordination, allowing the U.S. to better protect U.S. citizens and bring criminals to justice” and “enhances the defense of human rights by the [U.S.]” The U.S. “integrates the defense of human rights and the protection of human rights in all interactions with the Cuban Government.”

After this meeting, Cuba said it had “conveyed information and cooperation proposals to the US side regarding the activities of people living in the United States, identified by their links to terrorism, illegal human trafficking and other illicit activities.” The U.S., however, said these allegations were “absurd.”

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[1] E.g., U.S. Senators and Representatives Demand Ending of U.S. Designation of Cuba as State Sponsor of Terrorism (Jan. 12, 2024); COMMENT: Another Congressman Calls for Ending Cuba as State Sponsor of Terrorism (Jan. 13, 2024). See also the following sections of List of Posts to dwkcommentaries—Topical CUBA [as of 5/4/20]: U.S/ (Obama) & Cuba (Normalization), 2014; U.S. (Obama) & Cuba (Normalization), 2015; U.S.(Obama) & Cuba (Normalization), 2016; U.S.(Obama) & Cuba (Normalization), 2017.

[2] Sponsors undermines human rights, experts warn, UN News (Feb. 8, 2024); U.S. unilateral list of terrorism sponsors undermines human rights, experts warn, UN News (Feb. 8, 2024); Sanctioning countries for “terrorism” goes against international law, Granma (Feb. 8, 2024); Cuba Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United States: Unilateral designation of states as sponsors of terrorism negatively affects human rights, UN experts warn (Feb. 8, 2024).

[3] Bruno Rodriguez raises the tone and calls the US ‘accomplices of terrorism’ against the Cuban regime, Diario de Cuba Dec. 15, 2023); Is the UN going to end up endorsing the Cuban regime’s ‘list of terrorists’?, Diario de Cuba (Jan. 4, 2024); Havana gives the US its list of suspected terrorists, in a brief meeting in Washington, Diario de Cuba (Feb. 7, 2024); The US calls the accusations that it encourages violent actions against Havana ‘absurd,’ Diario de Cuba (Feb. 9, 2024); Torres, Biden administration refutes Cuba’s claim that the U.S. ‘supports’ Miami ‘terrorists, Miami Herald (Feb. 9, 2024).

[4] U.S.-Cuba Law Enforcement Dialogue, U.S. Dep’t of State (Feb. 7, 2024); Havana gives the US its list of suspected terrorists, in a brief meeting in Washington, Diario de Cuba (Feb.7, 2024)

U.S. Announces $2 Million Grant to Cuba for Hurricane Ian Relief

On October 18, the U.S. State Department announced that the U.S. through the U.S. Agency for International Development will be providing $2 million of emergency relief for those in Cuba suffering from Hurricane Ian.[1]

Said the State Department, the U.S. “will work with trusted, independent organizations operating in the country who have a long presence in hurricane-affected communities. We are currently reviewing applications from organizations such as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to provide this assistance.”

The statement added, “We stand with the Cuban people as they work to recover from this disaster. The United States will continue to monitor and assess humanitarian needs in coordination with our trusted partners and the international community, and we will continue to seek ways to provide meaningful support to the Cuban people, consistent with U.S. laws and regulations.”

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez immediately expressed appreciation for this grant. He said on twitter, this aid would “contribute to our recovery efforts and support [for] those affected by the ravages” of the storm.

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[1] U.S. State Department, Press Statement: U.S. Support for Hurricane Ian Recovery Efforts in Cuba (Oct. 18, 2022); DeYoung, U.S. will provide $2 million of hurricane aid in Cuba, Wash. Post (Oct. 18, 2020). See also Hurricane-Damaged Cuba Needs Immediate U.S. Recovery Help, dwkcommentaries.com (Oct. 2. 2022); Cuban Government Asks for U.S. Aid in Responding to Hurricane Ian Damages While Cubans Protest Over Continued Power Outages, dwkcommentaries.com (Oct.4, 2022); Comment: Still Waiting for U.S. Response to Cuban Request for Hurricane Aid, dwkcommentaries.com (Oct. 6, 2022).

Another U.S.-Cuba Dispute Over Human Rights

On December 7 U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sent an open letter to Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, and Cuba immediately and angrily denounced the letter without responding to the specific questions advanced by Pompeo.

Secretary Pompeo’s Letter[1]

The letter asked for a “substantive explanation of the detention of the [following eight] political prisoners” and “whether [Cuba] . . . continues to incarcerate . . . [them] as charged with ‘pre-criminal dangerousness’ and “for an explanation of the charges and the evidence against the other individuals [on a list provided by the U.S. in January 2017]:”

Yosvany Sanchez Valenciano, Melkis Faure Echevarria, and Yanier Suarez Tamayo of the Cuban Patriotic Union;
Eduardo Cardet Concepcion of the Christian Liberation Movement;[2]
journalist Yoeni de Jesus Guerra Garcia;
Martha Sanchez of the Ladies in White; [3] and
Jose Rolando Casares Soto and Yamilka Abascal Sanchez of the Cuban Youth Dialogue.

The Secretary also said that the U.S. “has for decades expressed profound concern regarding Cuban political prisoners. Such prisoners include those charged with pre-criminal ‘dangerousness, ’defined [in Cuban law] as ‘the special inclination an individual has to commit crimes demonstrated by conduct in manifest contradiction to the rules of socialist morality.’ Former President [Raúl] Castro, in a news conference with then President Obama in March 2016, said that if U.S. officials presented him with a list of political prisoners, they would be released that very night. He received such a list, but political prisoners remained in detention. U.S. representatives [also] raised the issue during the October 2016 Human Rights Dialogue in Havana. They were told all prisoners were in jail for sound reasons and that, if we had questions as to the reasons, we could raise them. Our representatives were also advised that pre-criminal ‘dangerousness’ was no longer used as a basis for imprisoning people.”

Cuban Responses[4]

The Cuban Foreign Minister responded on Twitter, ” Pompeo lies and slanders. U.S. government is a global repressor [of human rights and] lacks moral authority.” In another tweet, Rodriguez said he has asked “Washington to lift the embargo, restore visas for Cubans” and “stop the repression of migrants, minorities and the poor.”

Cuba’s more extensive response to Secretary Pompeo’s letter was made by US Director of Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Fernández de Cossío. He said the U.S. “acts dishonestly when it raises concerns about the human rights situation in Cuba or anywhere.” He added that the “constant and flagrant abuses against its own population and the population of many countries in the world, and their alliance throughout history with dictatorial regimes authors of the most opprobrious crimes, disqualify the moral authority of the American rulers.”

The Pompeo letter and “his public management are nothing more than acts of propaganda.” They accompany . . . “the unwillingness of that government to sit down with Cuba, with seriousness and commitment, in a bilateral dialogue between equals, to deliberate on the issue of human rights and how to advance with sincerity towards constructive cooperation on the subject. . . . [and if] the United States were truly interested in the human rights of Cubans, it would not impose a criminal economic blockade that punishes the entire nation, nor would it place increasing obstacles to orderly emigration, nor to consular services on which tens of thousands of Cubans depend. ”

Fernández de Cossio concluded, “Cuba is a country in which human rights are respected. . . . [and contrary to the U.S.]”the Cuban government and society as a whole are mobilized to promote and guarantee the legal framework, public policies and the effective enjoyment of the rights of citizens, including the rights to a life worthy, free of exploitation, marginalization, social alienation, discrimination of any kind, violence, crime and abuse of power, and with access to quality health and education services for the entire population, among other guarantees.”

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[1] U.S. State Dep’t, An Open Letter to the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Cuba (Dec. 10, 2018) (the letter itself was dated December 7, 2018); Assoc; Press, US Demands Answers From Cuba on Imprisoned Dissidents, N.Y. Times (Dec. 11, 2018).

[2] See U.S. at U.N. Condemns Cuba’s Imprisonment of Political Opponents, dwkcommentareis.com ( Oct. 17, 2018).

[3] See Search Results for: Ladies in White in dwkcommentaries.com.

[4] Cuba Foreign Ministry, Tweets by Foreign Minister Rodriguez (Dec. 2018); Cuba Foreign Ministry, Statement by the Director General of the USA of the MINREX on false accusations of the Department of State of the United States (Dec. 10, 2018).

The Inauguration of Cuba’s New President, Miguel Díaz-Canel

On April 19, Miguel Diaz-Canel officially became Cuba’s new President of the Councils of State and Ministers. Born after the Revolution in 1960, he grew up in the central province of Villa Clara, about three hours from Havana, the son of a schoolteacher and a factory worker. He studied electrical engineering at the Central University of Las Villas, where he was active in political life. After service in the Cuban military and a civilian mission to Nicaragua, he started work for the Communist Party of Cuba in 1993, and has advanced within the Party and the government to the position of First Vice President of the Councils of State and Ministers before his inauguration as President.[1]

President Díaz-Canel’s Inaugural Address

Granma, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of Cuba, had the following introduction to the inaugural address: “On the morning of April 19, a historic date . . . [which saw] the first defeat of Yankee imperialism [at the Bay of Pigs in 1961] . . . [and which now] . . . sees the inauguration of a new [Cuban] government that makes evident the continuity of the new generations with the legacy of the historic generation that founded the Cuban Revolution in the highest leadership positions of the country, compañero Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel Bermúdez,.”[2]

Below is a photograph of Díaz-Canel giving his speech.

Díaz-Canel began by recognizing the leadership of Army General Raúl Castro, the candidate for deputy to have received the most votes in the recent general elections; as well as the Comandante of the Revolution, “who on being in this room offers us the opportunity to embrace history.”

Díaz-Canel “also referred to the ‘dark attempts to destroy us’ of those who have not been able to destroy ‘our faith.’” (Emphasis added.)

With the inauguration of this new legislature, he emphasized, the electoral process comes to its conclusion. “The Cuban people, who have massively participated throughout, are conscious of its historic importance. They have elected their representatives based on their capacity to represent their localities, without media campaigns, corruption or demagoguery. Citizens have elected humble, hard-working people as their genuine representatives, who will participate in the approval and implementation of the country’s policies. This process has contributed to the consolidation of unity in Cuba.”

On the people’s expectations about this government, he stressed that the new Council of State must continue “acting, creating and working tirelessly, in a permanent bond with its dignified people.”

He also added that if anyone wanted to see Cuba in all its composition, it would be enough to look to its National Assembly, with women occupying decisive positions in the state and the government. However, he warned, it does not matter how much we resemble the country we are, if the commitment to the present and the future of Cuba is lacking. The raison d’être of the Councils of State and Ministers is the permanent link with the population.

Díaz-Canel pointed out that during the closing of the last Party Congress [in 2016], Army General Raúl Castro Ruz made it clear that his generation would hand over the flags of the Revolution and Socialism to the younger generations. This emphasizes the importance of the crucial mandate given by the people to this legislature, and as such its work in all areas of the nation’s life must be perfected.

“I assume this responsibility with the conviction that all we revolutionaries, from any trench, will be faithful to Fidel and Raúl, the current leader of the revolutionary process,” the new President of Cuba stated. (Emphasis added.)

He then stressed that the men and women who forged the revolution “give us the keys to a new fraternity that transforms us into compañeros and compañeras,” and highlighted, as another inherited achievement, the unity that has become indestructible within the Cuban Party, that was not born from the fragmentation of others, but from those who intended to build a better country.

For that reason, he said, “Raúl remains at the forefront of the political vanguard. He remains our First Secretary, as the reference that he is for the revolutionary cause, teaching and always ready to confront imperialism, like at the start, with his rifle at the ready in the moment of combat.” (Emphasis added.)

Regarding the revolutionary and political work of the Army General, he highlighted his legacy of resistance and in the search for the continued advancement of the nation. “He put his sense of duty ahead of human pain,” he said in reference to the loss of Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro on November 25, 2016.

Likewise, he highlighted Raúl’s grandeur as a statesman, forming a national consensus, and the manner in which he led the implementation process of the country’s social and economic guidelines. He also highlighted how he had made the return of the Five Cuban Heroes [in December 2014] a reality, so longed-for by Fidel.

Raúl has marked Cuba’s international relations with his own spirit: he directed diplomatic relations with the United States; he led the rotating presidency of CELAC; Cuba’s hosting of the Colombian peace talks; and he has been present in all regional and hemispheric summits, always defending Our America. That is the Raúl we know, Díaz-Canel stressed.

The new Cuban President also recalled how the Army General, still very young, participated in the Granma expedition, undertook the struggle in the Sierra Maestra, was promoted to Comandante, and developed government experiences that would be applied in the country after the revolutionary triumph.

“I am aware of the concerns and expectations at a moment like this, but I know the strength and wisdom of the people, the leadership of the Party, the ideas of Fidel, the presence of Raúl and Machado, and knowing the popular sentiment, I state before this Assembly that compañero Raúl will head the decisions for the present and future of the nation.” (Emphasis added.)

“I confirm that Cuban foreign policy will remain unchanged. Cuba will not accept conditions. The changes that are necessary will continue to be made by the Cuban people.” (Emphasis added.)

He also called for the support of all those who occupy leadership responsibilities at different levels in the nation, but, above all, of the people. “We will have to exercise an increasingly collective leadership. Strengthening the participation of the people.”

“I do not come to promise anything, as the Revolution never has in all these years. I come to fulfill the program that we have implemented with the guidelines of Socialism and the Revolution.” (Emphasis added.)

And as for the enemies of the revolutionary process, he said: “Here there is no space for a transition that ignores or destroys the work of the Revolution. We will continue moving forward without fear and without retreat; without renouncing our sovereignty, independence and development programs.”

“To those who through ignorance or bad faith doubt our commitment, we must tell them that the Revolution continues and will continue. The world has received the wrong message that the Revolution ends with its guerrillas.” (Emphasis added.)

Former President Raúl Castro’s Response

Immediately after the inaugural address, Raúl Castro, the former President and still the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, closed the second plenary session of the National Assembly of Popular Power [Cuba’s national legislature], with the following remarks:[3] Below is a photograph of Castro during his speech.

Castro recalled the victory of Cuba during the mercenary invasion of Playa Girón [Bay of Pigs]. “That moment was of great importance, especially when Fidel declared the socialist nature of the Revolution, he said.”

“He also pointed out the opportunity of recognizing the work carried out by the electoral commissions and of candidates to all the instances, as well as of the set of institutions that collaborated for the good performance of the elections. He also congratulated the elections of the National Assembly to the State Council of the country.”

Castro “said that Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel Bermúdez had worked as an engineer, and his work as an officer of the FAR. Then he was proposed as a professional cadre of the Union of Young Communists, from where he gradually rose to achieve his promotion as a Professional Party cadre.”

He pointed out that Díaz-Canel, during the [most acute phase of the] Special Period “was a member of the Provincial Party Committee in Villa Clara, where he spent nine years. Then he spent six years in Holguín. “He was born in Villa Clara, where he was quiet, because it was a territory he knew well; and it was after that that he was sent to one of the great provinces of the east, Holguin, as we did with more than a dozen young people, most of whom came to the Political Bureau, but who failed to be promoted. He was the only survivor.

Castro also stressed that Díaz-Canel had been a member of the Central Committee since 1991 and was promoted to the Political Bureau 15 years ago. He fulfilled a mission in Nicaragua and graduated from the National Defense College. In 2009 he was appointed Minister of Education. Five years ago he was elected First Vice President of the Councils of State and Ministers; and since then “a group of members of the Political Bureau had the feeling that we had hit the nail on the head,” referring to Díaz’s ability to assume the presidency. He was responsible in the ideological sphere of the Central Committee of the Party.

Raul pointed out that the election of Diaz-Canel is not a coincidence “because of his preparation he is the best and we know that because of his dedication he will have absolute success in the task entrusted to him by our supreme body of ‘Popular Power.” (Emphasis added.)

Comrade Díaz-Canel over the years he has demonstrated work capacity, ideological solidity and commitment to the Revolution.

The National Assembly of Popular Power has 42% new members and a female representation of 48.4%. Castro emphasized that women, young people and people of color occupy decision-making positions in the life of the nation.

“It is up to the Party, the State and the Government to fulfill and enforce, with due intentionality, the promotion of young people, women and mestizos, to posts that guarantee the renewal of the revolution.

He welcomed the ratification of the presidency of the National Assembly, and the proposal of Diaz-Canel, as allowed by the Constitution, so that the Council of Ministers will be made known at the next session of the Assembly, which will take place in July, because that it will allow for a prudent time for the movements of paintings to be made.

“I will continue to serve as Second Secretary of the Central Committee of the PCC, in what is my second and last mandate, which ends in 2021, when we will complete the transfer to the new generations. From then on, I will be one more soldier with the people defending this Revolution. So that there is not the slightest doubt, I want to emphasize that the PCC, in the figure of its First Secretary, will continue supporting the [new] president.” (Emphases added.)

Regarding the new generations, he warned that one of the permanent bets of the enemy is to penetrate, confuse and alienate youth from the ideals of the work and the revolutionary culture leading them instead towards disengagement towards ethics, solidarity and the sense of duty.

Castro said that in the next constitution there will be no changes in the strategic objective of the Party, which our people will support as in 1976, when Cubans voted in favor of the current constitution with 98% support.

He pointed out that in the Plenary Session of the Central Committee held in March of this year, the economic and social status of the nation was analyzed. The new constitution has lagged behind us, he clarified, because the country’s main problems are not resolved, because the participation of the organisms from the base was not achieved for the adequate implementation of the adopted policies.

We never had any illusions that it would be a short and easy process, because its dimensions reached all sectors of society, and we had to overcome egalitarianism and its negative consequences in the national economy, he added.

In the case of the socioeconomic context of the nation, Castro assured that the experiment of the non-agricultural cooperatives will continue and with respect to the monetary duality he said that he continues to give serious headaches, as well as the need for wage reform. He also emphasized the need for a coherent communication policy. (Emphasis added.)

He also recalled the difficult circumstances in which the country’s economy had to develop, and the considerable damages caused by the intense drought of the last 3 years and the recent hurricanes that affected most of the country. (Emphasis added.)

With regard to foreign debt, he stressed that a renegotiation has been carried out, which has helped to free the new generations of a sword of Damocles and the consequent restitution of the credit prestige of the country. The Army General congratulated the Minister of Economy, Ricardo Cabrisas, on his performance in that process.

He also made a call to save resources, claiming that we usually ask for too much, so we have to plan better.

“Defend unity, resist and resist, that is the duty of revolutionaries,” he said.

Regarding foreign policy issues, said the recent Summit of the Americas was marked by the neo-hegemonic attitude of the United States, whose commitment to the Monroe Doctrine was ratified, especially with the exclusion of Venezuela from that international event. (Emphasis added.)

It was known that they would set up a show, and Cuba went to Lima with its own right and its head high, which confirms the determination of the Cubans to defend their principles and their values. The Cuban delegation, together with that of Bolivia and other countries, prevented a single front against Venezuela. The interventions of our foreign minister, on behalf of the government and Cuban people, constituted a worthy response against the contents of the interventionist speech of the Vice President of the United States, Raul said. (Emphasis added.)

“The members of civil society defended the voice of Cuba and the peoples of America with vigor. I take this opportunity to congratulate all the members of the Cuban delegation that participated in this event, “he said.

The Army General stressed Cuba’s commitment to ALBA because we are the world’s region of greatest inequality in the distribution of wealth, and the gap between rich and poor is huge and growing despite the efforts made in the past decades, when Progressive governments pushed for policies to mitigate this evil, he said.

He rejected accusations of human rights violations in Cuba. He highlighted diplomatic relations with the European Union and the progress of ties with China. (Emphasis added.)

“In just 11 days our people will march together united by our streets and squares commemorating the International Labor Day and showing the majority support of the Cubans to the Party and its Revolution.

Conclusion

As anticipated, these comments by Díaz-Canel and Castro demonstrate a collective intention to continue Cuba’s current direction, domestically and internationally. Their mutual admiration is shown in the photograph below.

In another post we will look at U.S. reaction to the change in Cuba leadership. Some of that reaction was recorded before the actual inaugural of Díaz-Canel.

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[1] Ahmed & Robles, Who Is Miguel Díaz-Canel, Cuba’s New President? N.Y. Times (April 19, 2018); Cordoba, After 59 Years, a Castro Is No Longer Official Leader of Cuba, W.S.J. (April 19, 2018).

[2] Miguel Díaz-Canel: I assume this responsibility with the conviction that all the revolutionaries will be faithful to Fidel and Raúl (+Video), Granma (April 19, 2018).

[3] Raúl Castro: The Communist Party will continue to support the new President, Granma (April 19, 2018).