Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said this month that former President Raul Castro is guiding early-stage talks between Cuba and the Trump administration as the island faces nationwide blackouts from a U.S. oil blockade.
In a videotaped interview distributed by state media and reported by The Associated Press, Diaz-Canel made the statement on Wednesday as fuel shortages have intensified following the cutoff of Venezuelan oil supplies after U.S. forces captured Nicolas Maduro in January.
The blockade has strained Cuba's power grid and economy.
Cuba has described the talks as preliminary and focused on bilateral issues.
The Trump administration has pressed for leadership changes, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying those in charge need new people in their places, while Cuban officials have rejected any negotiation over the country's political system or the president's term.
Several relatives of Raul Castro have taken on more public or reported roles.
Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, known as "Raulito," a grandson of Raul Castro, met with Rubio's team on the sidelines of a Caribbean summit in St. Kitts and Nevis. He also appeared alongside senior officials during Diaz-Canel's disclosure of the talks.
Another relative, Foreign Trade Minister Oscar Perez-Oliva Fraga, has gained formal institutional weight.
Granma reported in October that Cuba's Council of State promoted him to vice prime minister while keeping his trade post, listed him in December as a deputy to the National Assembly, and published his March 16 presentation of new measures expanding the participation of Cubans living abroad in banking, investment funds, and business activity on the island.
Under Article 126 of Cuba's constitution, the president must be chosen from among National Assembly deputies, giving his legislative seat added significance as speculation grows over who could lead if Diaz-Canel were replaced before his term ends.
He said the opening covers small ventures and larger projects in areas such as infrastructure and agriculture.
Raul Castro, who stepped down as president in 2018, retains influence as a senior military figure and overseer of the military-linked business conglomerate GAESA. His family members have assumed more visible positions than descendants of his brother, Fidel Castro, who died in 2016.
The developments come as Cuba seeks to address the humanitarian effects of prolonged blackouts and shortages. U.S. measures aim to encourage a more compliant government, while Cuban officials have called the actions a blockade that hampers recovery.
Cuba's leadership has signaled openness to economic dialogue while stressing respect for its sovereignty. Analysts have pointed to the new cohesion of Cuba's ruling elite after decades of centralized control.
Cuba has gone three months without petroleum shipments, and Reuters reported that Cuban officials have publicly rejected any demand that Diaz-Canel leave office.
The pattern suggests that, as the crisis deepens, the Castro network remains central to decisions about who speaks for the state and what concessions, if any, Havana is prepared to discuss.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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