Washington: Dialogue with Havana Will Happen Only If Absolutely Necessary

The U.S. State Department has responded to concerns from the Cuban government regarding the lack of communication with the Trump administration, stating that meetings with Havana will occur only when deemed absolutely necessary. "When the United States needs to meet with the Cuban government, we do," was the reply sent to Martí Noticias via email.

This response came after Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío commented on the absence of dialogue with Washington concerning deportations. In a statement to Reuters, De Cossío mentioned that the Trump administration has yet to address the topic of immigration or discuss any potential increase in deportations, emphasizing that "there has been no such request from the U.S. government." He further recalled that existing migration agreements between the two countries include the repatriation of deported Cubans by air and sea, but never anticipated large-scale deportations.

The Regime's Uncertainty and De Cossío's Concerns

In his interview with Reuters, Carlos Fernández de Cossío denied any discussions about a possible rise in deportation numbers, a point clarified by the response from Martí Noticias. "There has been no request of that nature from the U.S. government," he stated. "We have yet to sit down and discuss whether that would be feasible," he added.

Cuban Deportations and Existing Agreements

Under the current migration agreements dating back to the 1980s, Cuba has routinely accepted deported immigrants from the United States by air and sea. Since Donald Trump took office on January 20, a flight carrying 104 deported Cuban citizens has landed on the island. However, De Cossío warns that "large-scale deportations of Cubans initially admitted legally into the United States were never contemplated in the migration agreements between both countries."

This assertion suggests that the Cuban regime may not easily accommodate the U.S. government's efforts to return Cubans benefiting from programs like humanitarian parole. The deputy minister noted that when the agreements were signed, the possibility of the United States admitting and then denying entry to individuals was not considered reasonable at that time.

The two nations are expected to resume dialogue in April in Washington, although Fernández de Cossío has pointed out that, as of now, the U.S. administration has not officially confirmed the meeting.

Cuba Blames the U.S. for Encouraging Migration

For decades, the Cuban government has accused the United States of fostering the mass migration of island citizens by implementing a combination of economic sanctions and favorable migration policies for Cubans. According to Havana authorities, these measures are intended to economically strangle the country, leading to an internal crisis that compels thousands of Cubans to seek better living conditions abroad.

They also argue that U.S. laws provide Cubans with a more accessible path to citizenship compared to other nationalities, serving as an additional incentive for emigration. The Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister has insisted on this point, noting that Cubans arriving in the U.S. do so under more privileged conditions compared to other migrants. "They didn't tear down a wall, they didn't have to jump a fence to enter the United States, they were invited," the official declared, highlighting that Washington's migration policies favor Cubans over other migrant groups.

However, the U.S. government holds a starkly different view. Washington directly blames the Cuban communist regime for the current migration crisis, arguing that the island's administration has poorly managed the economy and systematically violated the human rights of its people. U.S. officials have pointed out that the lack of political freedoms, repression against dissidents, and the internal economic crisis exacerbated by poor state management are the real causes of the Cuban exodus.

The Cuban migration crisis has intensified in recent years, reaching unprecedented levels. Since 2020, over one million Cubans have left the island, representing approximately 10% of the country's total population. This phenomenon, analysts say, has few parallels in times of peace and is comparable only to massive migratory movements that occur during wartime or severe humanitarian crises.

Currently, Cubans are one of the main groups of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Many have entered the United States through legal admission programs initiated during the Joe Biden administration, while others have resorted to irregular routes to reach U.S. soil.