WEBVTT - Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Talks US Relationship

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<v Speaker 1>We have a unique opportunity to speak with the Deputy

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<v Speaker 1>Foreign Minister the Republic of Cuba right now, Carlos Fernandez

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<v Speaker 1>Dicosio is joining us from our studios in New York

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<v Speaker 1>and it's great to see you, minister. Thank you for

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<v Speaker 1>being with us today on Bloomberg. I had the pleasure

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<v Speaker 1>of being in Havana in twenty nineteen for the rededication

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<v Speaker 1>of the Hemingway House. At that time I got an

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<v Speaker 1>earfull about the different policy, the different relationship that the

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<v Speaker 1>Trump White House had with Cuba than the Obama White House.

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<v Speaker 1>That relationship has not changed meaningfully since Joe Biden was elected,

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<v Speaker 1>has it.

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<v Speaker 2>I agree with you. There has been changes in the

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<v Speaker 2>sense of a few areas that the US government has

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<v Speaker 2>decided are or benefit for the US and or benefit

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<v Speaker 2>of Cuba cooperation, for example in law enforcement, in areas

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<v Speaker 2>of science, technology, health, some academic, But the meaningful part

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<v Speaker 2>of the relationship, which is the economic blockade and the

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<v Speaker 2>aggression against the Cuban economy, has not changed. It's been

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<v Speaker 2>faithfully applied by the Biden administration.

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<v Speaker 3>So as the outcome for Cuba serve the same regardless

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<v Speaker 3>of who wins. In November of this year, or do

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<v Speaker 3>you fear that there could be even more intensified policy

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<v Speaker 3>under a second Trump administration when it comes to things

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<v Speaker 3>like sanctions and potential economic ramifications for your country.

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<v Speaker 2>Like most people, we can't guess who's going to win

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<v Speaker 2>the elections, and it's very difficult to truly understand what

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<v Speaker 2>they promise and what they're going to do. What we

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<v Speaker 2>hope or what we look for, is that whoever wins

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<v Speaker 2>does not apply more restrictions, for example, for Cubans that

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<v Speaker 2>live in the US to relate with their families and

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<v Speaker 2>their country of origin, or for business people to have

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<v Speaker 2>even more limitations to do business with Cuba. We would

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<v Speaker 2>hope that perhaps they ease them or lift them, or

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<v Speaker 2>for Americans to travel, they're prohibited to travel to Cuba,

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<v Speaker 2>and almost absolutely perhaps they will give the America is

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<v Speaker 2>the freedom to be able to travel as they travel

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<v Speaker 2>to other countries. That's what we hope.

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<v Speaker 1>What do you hear from the US when it comes

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<v Speaker 1>to Cuba's relationship with Russia, because this is something that

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<v Speaker 1>is obviously considered a very delicate matter here in Washington.

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<v Speaker 1>The fact that Russia is investing in Cuba, the fact

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<v Speaker 1>that Russia in fact, drafted some Cubans apparently to fight

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<v Speaker 1>against Ukraine. Is that the point of friction between Havana

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<v Speaker 1>and Washington right now.

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<v Speaker 2>The US government knows that most of the investments that

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<v Speaker 2>take place in Cuba are from European countries or Canada,

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<v Speaker 2>not so much from Russia. And they also know that

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<v Speaker 2>we were the ones that I learned and made public

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<v Speaker 2>that a few Cubans that were in Europe were being

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<v Speaker 2>recruited for the war, and we took measures for those

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<v Speaker 2>that were attempting from Cuba to also travel to the war.

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<v Speaker 2>And we've learned that there are people on both sides,

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<v Speaker 2>both in Ukraine and Russia of Cuban origin, most of

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<v Speaker 2>them recruited in Europe, not in Cuba.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, sir, considering people who are of Cuban origin brings

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<v Speaker 3>us to the wider question around migration. I know you

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<v Speaker 3>and your government have been involved in talks with the

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<v Speaker 3>US on the issue of migration specifically, Is that an

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<v Speaker 3>area where progress is being made? Can you just characterize

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<v Speaker 3>for us how that effort is going.

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<v Speaker 2>That's an area in which the US government and Cuban

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<v Speaker 2>government has been able to manage, regardless of the administration

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<v Speaker 2>in the White House for decades already with ups and downs.

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<v Speaker 2>At this moment, we have agreements in place that we

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<v Speaker 2>implement and issues on which we discuss that put a

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<v Speaker 2>limit to the uncontrolled flow, which is what we try

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<v Speaker 2>to cut. But we made it very clear that as

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<v Speaker 2>long as the US has a policy of making life

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<v Speaker 2>difficult for Cubans, it is logical for them to want

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<v Speaker 2>to migrate to a more prosperous economy. Above all, if

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<v Speaker 2>there's an invitation by the US that they will get

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<v Speaker 2>a privileged treatment if they reach the border of the

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<v Speaker 2>United States by whatever means.

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<v Speaker 1>So what is the next step? What are you asking

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<v Speaker 1>for from Washington when you talk to the administration, when

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<v Speaker 1>Havana engages with Washington. What could Joe Biden do now

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<v Speaker 1>to begin thawing this relationship with such a close neighbor.

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<v Speaker 2>What we're not doing is we're not asking for aid

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<v Speaker 2>or preferential trade conditions or financial support. What we're asking

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<v Speaker 2>is to be left alone, to allow Cubans to try

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<v Speaker 2>to develop economy, to try allow us to put in

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<v Speaker 2>place of transformations that we have identified that are needed

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<v Speaker 2>to push our economy forward and not make life difficult

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<v Speaker 2>for the people of Cuba.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, sir, and you alluded to the idea that you

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<v Speaker 3>think the extent of the migration we're seeing from Cuba

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<v Speaker 3>may have to do with the difficulty economically of what

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<v Speaker 3>life in Cuba actually looks like. But is there really

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<v Speaker 3>nothing your own government can do on your side in

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<v Speaker 3>terms of civil liberties, for example, that may also play

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<v Speaker 3>a role in stemming that tide.

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<v Speaker 2>Civil liberties is not the main issue. Most of the

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<v Speaker 2>experts from US and Cuba who follow migration would say

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<v Speaker 2>that it's basically an economic migration. But I do grant

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<v Speaker 2>that every country has problems in economic policy, in the

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<v Speaker 2>discomfort of people with political situation. It happens in all

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<v Speaker 2>of Latin America, it happens in the US. I'm sure

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<v Speaker 2>that if you pull people here in the US, not

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<v Speaker 2>everybody is happy with the government, not everybody, but he's

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<v Speaker 2>happy with the economic condition. But what's extraordinary, what's unique,

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<v Speaker 2>is that the most powerful nation in the world has

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<v Speaker 2>a policy specifically determined to make life as unbearable as

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<v Speaker 2>possible for the population. And so it's in the hands

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<v Speaker 2>of the United States to tackle that. It's an illegitimate approach.

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<v Speaker 2>So the rest we can deal with but this extraordinary

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<v Speaker 2>factor has to be dealt with by the US government.

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<v Speaker 1>Minister. There was a visit by Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign

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<v Speaker 1>minister in Cuba at the time of Alexei Navalny's death.

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<v Speaker 1>That is a story that resonated very loudly here in

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<v Speaker 1>the US. It's one that the Biden administration took a

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<v Speaker 1>very strong stand on when it came to Russia's handling

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<v Speaker 1>of Alexi Navalny. Did Havana have a message for Moscow

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<v Speaker 1>when it came to Navalney's death.

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<v Speaker 2>We have a close relationship with China, with Russia, and

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<v Speaker 2>there's no it's no surprise that I have visits for ministers,

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<v Speaker 2>but Navaldi was not part of our agenda, all.

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<v Speaker 3>Right, Deputy four An Minister of Cuba, Carlos Fernandez di Costio,

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<v Speaker 3>thank you so much for joining us, joining us of

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<v Speaker 3>course today from New York. We appreciate your time, sir,