Speaker 1: We have a unique opportunity to speak with the Deputy
Speaker 1: Foreign Minister the Republic of Cuba right now, Carlos Fernandez
Speaker 1: Dicosio is joining us from our studios in New York
Speaker 1: and it's great to see you, minister. Thank you for
Speaker 1: being with us today on Bloomberg. I had the pleasure
Speaker 1: of being in Havana in twenty nineteen for the rededication
Speaker 1: of the Hemingway House. At that time I got an
Speaker 1: earfull about the different policy, the different relationship that the
Speaker 1: Trump White House had with Cuba than the Obama White House.
Speaker 1: That relationship has not changed meaningfully since Joe Biden was elected,
Speaker 1: has it.
Speaker 2: I agree with you. There has been changes in the
Speaker 2: sense of a few areas that the US government has
Speaker 2: decided are or benefit for the US and or benefit
Speaker 2: of Cuba cooperation, for example in law enforcement, in areas
Speaker 2: of science, technology, health, some academic, But the meaningful part
Speaker 2: of the relationship, which is the economic blockade and the
Speaker 2: aggression against the Cuban economy, has not changed. It's been
Speaker 2: faithfully applied by the Biden administration.
Speaker 3: So as the outcome for Cuba serve the same regardless
Speaker 3: of who wins. In November of this year, or do
Speaker 3: you fear that there could be even more intensified policy
Speaker 3: under a second Trump administration when it comes to things
Speaker 3: like sanctions and potential economic ramifications for your country.
Speaker 2: Like most people, we can't guess who's going to win
Speaker 2: the elections, and it's very difficult to truly understand what
Speaker 2: they promise and what they're going to do. What we
Speaker 2: hope or what we look for, is that whoever wins
Speaker 2: does not apply more restrictions, for example, for Cubans that
Speaker 2: live in the US to relate with their families and
Speaker 2: their country of origin, or for business people to have
Speaker 2: even more limitations to do business with Cuba. We would
Speaker 2: hope that perhaps they ease them or lift them, or
Speaker 2: for Americans to travel, they're prohibited to travel to Cuba,
Speaker 2: and almost absolutely perhaps they will give the America is
Speaker 2: the freedom to be able to travel as they travel
Speaker 2: to other countries. That's what we hope.
Speaker 1: What do you hear from the US when it comes
Speaker 1: to Cuba's relationship with Russia, because this is something that
Speaker 1: is obviously considered a very delicate matter here in Washington.
Speaker 1: The fact that Russia is investing in Cuba, the fact
Speaker 1: that Russia in fact, drafted some Cubans apparently to fight
Speaker 1: against Ukraine. Is that the point of friction between Havana
Speaker 1: and Washington right now.
Speaker 2: The US government knows that most of the investments that
Speaker 2: take place in Cuba are from European countries or Canada,
Speaker 2: not so much from Russia. And they also know that
Speaker 2: we were the ones that I learned and made public
Speaker 2: that a few Cubans that were in Europe were being
Speaker 2: recruited for the war, and we took measures for those
Speaker 2: that were attempting from Cuba to also travel to the war.
Speaker 2: And we've learned that there are people on both sides,
Speaker 2: both in Ukraine and Russia of Cuban origin, most of
Speaker 2: them recruited in Europe, not in Cuba.
Speaker 3: Well, sir, considering people who are of Cuban origin brings
Speaker 3: us to the wider question around migration. I know you
Speaker 3: and your government have been involved in talks with the
Speaker 3: US on the issue of migration specifically, Is that an
Speaker 3: area where progress is being made? Can you just characterize
Speaker 3: for us how that effort is going.
Speaker 2: That's an area in which the US government and Cuban
Speaker 2: government has been able to manage, regardless of the administration
Speaker 2: in the White House for decades already with ups and downs.
Speaker 2: At this moment, we have agreements in place that we
Speaker 2: implement and issues on which we discuss that put a
Speaker 2: limit to the uncontrolled flow, which is what we try
Speaker 2: to cut. But we made it very clear that as
Speaker 2: long as the US has a policy of making life
Speaker 2: difficult for Cubans, it is logical for them to want
Speaker 2: to migrate to a more prosperous economy. Above all, if
Speaker 2: there's an invitation by the US that they will get
Speaker 2: a privileged treatment if they reach the border of the
Speaker 2: United States by whatever means.
Speaker 1: So what is the next step? What are you asking
Speaker 1: for from Washington when you talk to the administration, when
Speaker 1: Havana engages with Washington. What could Joe Biden do now
Speaker 1: to begin thawing this relationship with such a close neighbor.
Speaker 2: What we're not doing is we're not asking for aid
Speaker 2: or preferential trade conditions or financial support. What we're asking
Speaker 2: is to be left alone, to allow Cubans to try
Speaker 2: to develop economy, to try allow us to put in
Speaker 2: place of transformations that we have identified that are needed
Speaker 2: to push our economy forward and not make life difficult
Speaker 2: for the people of Cuba.
Speaker 3: Well, sir, and you alluded to the idea that you
Speaker 3: think the extent of the migration we're seeing from Cuba
Speaker 3: may have to do with the difficulty economically of what
Speaker 3: life in Cuba actually looks like. But is there really
Speaker 3: nothing your own government can do on your side in
Speaker 3: terms of civil liberties, for example, that may also play
Speaker 3: a role in stemming that tide.
Speaker 2: Civil liberties is not the main issue. Most of the
Speaker 2: experts from US and Cuba who follow migration would say
Speaker 2: that it's basically an economic migration. But I do grant
Speaker 2: that every country has problems in economic policy, in the
Speaker 2: discomfort of people with political situation. It happens in all
Speaker 2: of Latin America, it happens in the US. I'm sure
Speaker 2: that if you pull people here in the US, not
Speaker 2: everybody is happy with the government, not everybody, but he's
Speaker 2: happy with the economic condition. But what's extraordinary, what's unique,
Speaker 2: is that the most powerful nation in the world has
Speaker 2: a policy specifically determined to make life as unbearable as
Speaker 2: possible for the population. And so it's in the hands
Speaker 2: of the United States to tackle that. It's an illegitimate approach.
Speaker 2: So the rest we can deal with but this extraordinary
Speaker 2: factor has to be dealt with by the US government.
Speaker 1: Minister. There was a visit by Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign
Speaker 1: minister in Cuba at the time of Alexei Navalny's death.
Speaker 1: That is a story that resonated very loudly here in
Speaker 1: the US. It's one that the Biden administration took a
Speaker 1: very strong stand on when it came to Russia's handling
Speaker 1: of Alexi Navalny. Did Havana have a message for Moscow
Speaker 1: when it came to Navalney's death.
Speaker 2: We have a close relationship with China, with Russia, and
Speaker 2: there's no it's no surprise that I have visits for ministers,
Speaker 2: but Navaldi was not part of our agenda, all.
Speaker 3: Right, Deputy four An Minister of Cuba, Carlos Fernandez di Costio,
Speaker 3: thank you so much for joining us, joining us of
Speaker 3: course today from New York. We appreciate your time, sir,