Cuba Open to US Oil Investment Yet Ready to Stand Up to Trump

Article content(Bloomberg) — Cuba is open to US investment in oil exploration even as it’s ready to fight any US invasion with a full mobilization of its armed forces and people, President Miguel Diaz-Canel said.Sign In or Create an AccountEmail AddressContinueor View more offersArticle content“There is no enemy that can’t be defeated,” Diaz-Canel said in an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press.Article contentWe apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Article contentDiaz-Canel combined defiant and conciliatory stances in responding to questions about President Donald Trump’s campaign to put an economic squeeze on Cuba and his suggestions that the island’s leadership could be the administration’s next target after Venezuela and Iran. Article contentArticle contentThe US eased a de-facto oil blockade last month by allowing a Russian shipment of an estimated 730,000 barrels of crude to reach Cuba. At the time, Trump said he preferred to let the oil in because Cuba’s people needed it.Article contentTop StoriesGet the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.There was an error, please provide a valid email address.Sign UpBy signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.Thanks for signing up!A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againInterested in more newsletters? Browse here.Article contentDiaz-Canel said the shipment would only cover a third of Cuba’s oil requirements in a month, prompting the country to design “an entire strategy for energy transition” including renewables and energy conservation.Article content“We are exploring new reservoirs, and we’re open for foreign investment in Cuba in oil exploration and drilling,” he said. “Cuba will be happy to welcome American firms who would like to come in and participate.”Article contentSince confirming talks with the US, Cuba’s government released a few political prisoners and offered to open up its economy to investment from Cubans living abroad. Article contentDiaz-Canel said he hadn’t spoken to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and denied the US demanded that Cuba release political prisoners, schedule multiparty elections or recognize unions and a free press. Article contentTrump and top allies want to replace Diaz-Canel, who they say has run the economy into the ground and view as incapable of overseeing political and economic change. He would be the second Latin American leader to be displaced by the Trump administration after Nicolas Maduro’s removal in a US-backed operation in Venezuela in January. Article contentDiaz-Canel denied his government bore any responsibility for the island’s plight and blamed the US trade embargo that’s been in place since the 1960s. Defending Cuba against foreign assault would involve its “war of all the people” doctrine, he told NBC.Article content“Every Cuban man or woman has a mission, a purpose, a place to defend, and they will have their own place to take in the defense,” Diaz-Canel said.Article contentTrending Oil Tankers U-Turn in Hormuz as US-Iran Talks Break Down PMN Business How the global energy crisis is shaking Canada from coast to coast — and could leave a lasting legacy Oil & Gas Trump Says US to Seal Hormuz Strait, Severing Key Iran Lifeline PMN Business This creative money transfer strategy among family members could raise red flags with CRA Personal Finance Posthaste: More Canadians desperate for tax refund to plug holes in their finances News Share this article in your social networkCommentsYou must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.Create an AccountSign in Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. Oil Tankers U-Turn in Hormuz as US-Iran Talks Break Down PMN Business How the global energy crisis is shaking Canada from coast to coast — and could leave a lasting legacy Oil & Gas Trump Says US to Seal Hormuz Strait, Severing Key Iran Lifeline PMN Business This creative money transfer strategy among family members could raise red flags with CRA Personal Finance Posthaste: More Canadians desperate for tax refund to plug holes in their finances News