HAVANA — Miguel Díaz-Canel, the current president of Cuba, confirmed Friday morning that his government is in talks with the U.S. and the two countries are “using dialogue to find solutions to our differences to bilateral problems.”

He calls it a “sensible process” that has been entered into with “responsibility and seriousness.”

Díaz-Canel said there are international actors involved in the conversations, and obviously tension, amid the ongoing fuel blockade from the U.S., causing an economic and energy crisis in Cuba.

“The purpose of these conversations is, first, to identify what bilateral problems need a solution based on their severity, their impact, and on the other hand, to find solutions for these identified problems,” Cuba’s leader said in Spanish. “Furthermore, to determine the willingness of both parties to take concrete actions for the benefit of the peoples of both countries and, in addition, to identify areas of cooperation to face threats and guarantee the security and peace of both nations and also in the region where we develop our life, which is the Latin American and Caribbean region.”

He did not elaborate on those factors, or provide any details about the talks.

Petroleum shipments

Díaz-Canel said no petroleum shipments have arrived on the island in the past three months, which he blamed on a U.S. energy blockade.

Cuba’s western region was hit by a massive blackout last week, leaving millions without power.

He said that Cuba, which produces 40% of its petroleum, has been generating its own power but that it hasn’t been sufficient to meet demand.

He said the lack of power has affected communications, education and transportation, and that the government has had to postpone surgeries for tens of thousands of people as a result.

“The impact is tremendous,” he said.

Díaz-Canel said more than 115 bakeries across the island have been converted to run on firewood or coal.

He added that 955 solar panels have been installed in rural homes and social centers, and that more solar systems will come online before the end of March that will add 100 megawatts to Cuba’s crumbling electric grid.

“Even with everything we’re putting together, we still need oil,” he said.

Díaz-Canel noted that production output also has dropped: “Without energy, no country can produce at normal levels. All of this has meant making adjustments to employment.”

Last month, Cuba implemented austere fuel-saving measures.

What’s next?

Díaz-Canel said he is open to the island doing business with Cubans living abroad.

He noted that Cuba is willing to carry out the process involving the ongoing conversations with the U.S. on the basis of equality and respect for the countries’ political systems and for Cuba’s “sovereignty and self-determination.”

Critical oil shipments from Venezuela were halted after the U.S. attacked the South American country and arrested its leader.

The most recent blackout was blamed on a broken boiler at a thermoelectric plant that forced the shutdown of Cuba’s power grid.

Authorities have noted that some thermoelectric plants have been operating for over 30 years and receive little maintenance given the high cost. U.S. sanctions also have prevented the government from buying new equipment and specialized parts, officials say.

Cuba to release 51 prisoners

Díaz-Canel’s comments Friday come after the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it would be releasing 51 people from the island’s prisons in an unexpected move.

The Ministry said the release in the upcoming days stems from a spirit of goodwill and close relations with the Vatican.

The government did not identify who it would release, except to say that “all have served a significant part of their sentence and have maintained good conduct in prison.”

The government said it has granted pardons to 9,905 inmates since 2010. It added that in the past three years, another 10,000 people sentenced to imprisonment were released.

In January 2025, Cuba released prominent dissident José Daniel Ferrer as part of a government decision to gradually free more than 500 prisoners following talks with the Vatican.

Ferrer left Cuba last October and is now in the United States.

He was one of several prisoners released in early 2025 as part of talks with the Vatican. The releases began a day after President Joe Biden’s administration announced his intent to lift the U.S. designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism.

It wasn’t immediately known if any of the people the government plans to release are political prisoners.

The nonprofit Prisoners Defenders has said there were 1,214 political prisoners in Cuba as of February 2026.

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