US held secret talks with Cuba in Havana for the first time in 10 years
Several meetings took place, including one with Raul Castro's grandson.
Photo: AP Photo / Ramon Espinosa
A US State Department delegation arrived in Havana last Friday for talks with Cuban authorities, Axios sources report.
According to a high-ranking official from the diplomatic department, several meetings took place, including one with Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro — the grandson of the republic's former leader, Raúl Castro.
The Americans stated that "the Cuban economy is in free fall" and urged the island's leadership to take advantage of a limited "window of opportunity" to implement democratic and economic reforms with US support, "before the situation irreversibly deteriorates".
US State Department representatives also demanded the release of political prisoners and compensation payments to American citizens and corporations whose assets and property were confiscated after the 1959 revolution.
At the same time, officials expressed "concern that foreign intelligence, military, and terrorist groups are operating with the Cuban government's permission less than a hundred miles from US territory".
In exchange for meeting these demands, the Americans proposed discussing the lifting of the trade embargo and providing access to Starlink satellite communication.
These are the first talks between the US and Cuba in 10 years — the last time the countries had direct contact was during President Barack Obama's visit to the island in 2016.
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