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Cuba tried to deliver secret letter directly to Trump via ... - Mint
Raúl Rodriguez CastroSummaryAnalysts saw the missive as an attempt to go around Marco Rubio, though it’s unclear whether the message reached the president.In an unusual attempt to get President Trump’s ear, the grandson of Cuban leader Raúl Castro tapped a wealthy Havana entrepreneur to try to personally deliver a letter to the White House last week outside of regular diplomatic channels, said a U.S. official and former U.S. official.The letter was formatted similarly to a diplomatic note and carried an official Cuban seal, the current U.S. official said. The attempted back-channel message to Trump proposed economic and investment agreements as well as sanctions relief, and also warned that the Cuban regime was preparing for a U.S. incursion, the U.S. official said.But the courier—Roberto Carlos Chamizo González, 37 years old, a Cuban businessman involved in private high-end auto rentals and luxury tourism—was sent back to Havana from Miami after a Customs and Border Protection agent stopped him at the airport, obtaining the letter and ending the effort, the U.S. official said.The White House didn’t answer questions about whether it had received the letter, referring to the president’s recent comments on Cuba. It couldn’t be determined why the courier was stopped at the airport.View full ImageCuba is on the edge of a humanitarian disaster.The letter was an extraordinary attempt to jump-start discussions with the Trump administration by Raúl Rodriguez Castro, 41, the grandson and chief aide of Raúl Castro, as the island struggles with its worst economic crisis in decades.Cuba’s government, whose most important figure is 94-year-old former President Raúl Castro, appeared to try to reach Trump directly by going around Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The son of Cuban immigrants, Rubio has long pushed Washington to increase pressure on Havana’s Communist government and force political change on the island.Trump might be more amenable to cutting an economic deal with Cuba while leaving most of the regime in place, as he did in Venezuela, an outcome that would be anathema to many Cuban-Americans, Cuba-focused political analysts say.“The Cubans appear to be attempting to circumvent Rubio and get a clear message directly to Trump,” said Peter Kornbluh, co-author of “Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations Between Washington and Havana.” “This effort suggests that they no longer trust Rubio to be a dispassionate interlocutor and want to appeal direc...
Cuba tried to deliver secret letter to Trump - Yahoo
Fidel Castro’s grand-nephew tried to deliver a secret letter directly to Donald Trump.Raúl Rodríguez Castro, the grandson and aide of Raúl Castro, Cuba’s former leader, handed a letter to a businessman from Havana in the hope that it would reach the White House, according to The Wall Street Journal.US officials said the letter was formatted like a diplomatic note and carried an official Cuban seal.It reportedly proposed economic and investment agreements, called for sanctions relief and warned that the Cuban regime was preparing for a possible US incursion.The letter was entrusted to Roberto Carlos Chamizo González, a 37-year-old tourism tycoon.He was intercepted by a Customs and Border Protection agent at Miami Airport and sent back to Cuba. Officials did not explain why he had been stopped.Regime supporters hold photographs of Fidel Castro, right, and Raul Castro - Getty ImagesThe episode appears to have been an attempt by Cuba to revive direct discussions with Mr Trump as the island endures its worst economic crisis in decades.Cuba has been battered by fuel shortages, near-constant power cuts and dwindling supplies of food and basic goods. Rubbish has piled up in the streets, while many families have been forced to use wood and coal for cooking.Mr Castro is understood to have been communicating with Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, and his aides.Mr Rubio, whose parents immigrated from Cuba, has been one of the strongest advocates inside the Trump administration for regime change on the Caribbean island, calling for “new people in charge” and increasing pressure on Miguel Díaz-Canel, the Cuban president.The White House has reportedly opened talks with Mr Castro, who is seen as representing a strand of Cubans who believe Communism has failed. His grandfather is widely seen as the de facto leader of Cuba, even though the older Castro stepped down in 2018.Miguel Díaz-Canel, Cuba’s president, has vowed to stand up to threats from the US - ReutersAnalysts believe Mr Trump may be more open to striking an economic deal that leaves much of the Cuban regime in place, as he did with Venezuela.“The Cubans appear to be attempting to circumvent Rubio and get a clear message directly to Trump,” Peter Kornbluh, an expert on Cuba, told The Wall Street Journal.“This effort suggests that they no longer trust Rubio to be a dispassionate interlocutor and want to appeal directly to the president to resolve the escalating crisis.”In late March, a White House official t...
Cuba Open to US Oil Investment Yet Ready to Stand Up to Trump
Cuba is open to US investment in oil exploration even as it's ready to fight any US invasion with a full mobilization of its armed forces and people, President Miguel Diaz-Canel said.
Linking economic concessions to political change in Cuba | Miami Herald
Cubans cannot expect the interests of Trump to align with their own despite the palpable pro-interventionist sentiment among many. They must continue to demand both bread and freedom, refusing to ...
