U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is holding unofficial talks with Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, the grandson and close advisor of Raul Castro. These confidential contacts are taking place at a critical moment for Havana, which is grappling with a drastic fuel shortage caused by the U.S. blockade. Simultaneously in Moscow, President Vladimir Putin received the head of Cuban diplomacy, declaring solidarity against Washington's "unacceptable" sanctions and promising further energy support for the island.

Marco Rubio's Secret Channel

The U.S. Secretary of State is holding talks with Raul Castro's grandson regarding the future of Cuba, bypassing the official state structures led by Miguel Díaz-Canel.

Russian Support in Moscow

President Vladimir Putin met with Minister Bruno Rodríguez, declaring that the American oil blockade is entirely unacceptable.

The Island's Economic Paralysis

Cuba is facing a fuel shortage and enormous debt; Spanish companies alone are awaiting repayment of 300 million euros in outstanding obligations.

The United States, represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has opened an unofficial communication channel with Havana, bypassing the formal structures of the government of Miguel Díaz-Canel. According to reports from the Axios portal, Rubio is speaking directly with Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, known as "El Cangrejo," who serves as head of security and advisor to his grandfather, 94-year-old Raul Castro. The Donald Trump administration appears to recognize that the Castro clan remains the real center of decision-making on the island, and the talks are said to concern the "future" and potential systemic transformation in exchange for easing economic pressure. U.S.-Cuban relations have remained tense since the 1959 revolution, and the trade embargo imposed in 1962 is one of the longest-standing sanctions in modern diplomatic history. The diplomatic dimension of this game is multipolar. While Washington is probing Castro's inner circle, a manifestation of the Russian-Cuban alliance took place in Moscow. President Vladimir Putin and Minister Sergey Lavrov hosted the head of Cuban diplomacy, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla. The Russian leader sharply criticized the American energy blockade, calling it an unacceptable method and contrary to international law. Russia, which has supported Cuba for decades, declared assistance in the face of the island's economic paralysis, although specific amounts or volumes of oil supplies have not been publicly announced. The situation on the ground is dramatic: the lack of fuel has led to limitations in garbage collection, electricity rationing, and problems with the supply of basic products. Spanish companies: 300 The Cuban economy is on the brink of collapse, as confirmed by data on debt to foreign investors. Spanish companies alone are awaiting repayment of receivables exceeding 300 million euros. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt emphasized in an official statement that Washington expects "drastic and rapid changes" moving towards the island's democratization. This pressure is compounded by the cutoff of oil supplies from Venezuela, which had previously been Havana's main energy partner. The current dynamic suggests that the U.S. is employing a "carrot and stick" strategy—on one hand, economically strangling the regime, and on the other, offering secret negotiations to influential members of the Castro family. „We are currently going through a special period, marked by new sanctions. We do not accept such actions against our partners.” — Vladimir Putin 300 million € — is the debt of the government in Havana to companies from Spain

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