U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied information published in The New York Times that the United States allegedly intends to overthrow Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel.
Rubio called these claims fake, adding that many American media continue to spread such stories, relying on unreliable sources that pose as informants.
Following U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks about a possible "taking" of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel expressed his readiness to provide "unyielding resistance." "Faced with the worst-case scenario, Cuba is confident of one thing: any external aggressor will meet with unyielding resistance," he noted in his X microblog.
The Trump administration is seeking the removal of the Cuban president from power, The New York Times reports, citing sources. During negotiations, it was stated that the president's departure is necessary, but further steps are left to the discretion of the Cubans.
According to information, the removal of the Cuban president would be a "symbolic victory" for Donald Trump, allowing him to claim that he has overthrown the leader of a leftist government that has long opposed the U.S.
65-year-old Miguel Díaz-Canel has been the president of Cuba since 2018. The New York Times describes him as the nominal head of state. Díaz-Canel was chosen as his successor by former Cuban President Raúl Castro, who is now 94 years old and still holds significant influence in the country.
In an interview with NBC News published on the morning of March 16, Cuban Deputy Prime Minister Oscar Pérez-Oliva indicated that Havana is "ready for flexible trade relations with companies from the U.S., as well as with Cubans living in the U.S. and their descendants."
However, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called this concession insufficient for implementing free market reforms that the Trump administration would like to see in Cuba. "What they announced yesterday is not dramatic enough. It won't help. So they will have to make some major decisions," the head of the U.S. State Department stated in this regard while speaking to reporters at the White House.
Rubio himself has Cuban roots but is a staunch critic of the communist government of the island nation, AFP reminds.
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