Republican Rep. Carlos Gimenez rejected a report claiming that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is holding talks with the grandson of Raul Castro about the "future" of the island.
"I am certain Marco Rubio is not having conversations with the grandson of Raul," Gimenez said in a radio show.
A top Cuban official also dismissed the report. Speaking to Spanish news agency EFE last week, the country's permanent representative to the UN, Ernesto Soberon Guzman, said the report appears to be "speculation" and he bases himself on "public and verifiable facts."
The report in question, published by Axios last week, detailed that the talks with 41-year-old Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro are bypassing official channels and show that the Trump administration believes his grandfather is the decision maker in the country.
Rodriguez Castro is also seen as someone who represents a more business-oriented part of the regime who believe communism has failed and believe a rapprochement with the U.S. could be valuable.
"I wouldn't call these 'negotiations' as much as 'discussions' about the future," an official told the outlet. "The U.S. government's position — is the regime has to go," the official added. However, "what exactly that looks like is up to (President Donald Trump) and and he has yet to decide, and Rubio is still in talks with the grandson."
Elsewhere in the interview, Soberon Guzman refrained from discussing specific conversations that could lead the U.S. to end its fuel blockade, saying that Cuba is "open to dialogue on a base of mutual respect, equal conditions, respect for sovereignty, respect for its independence and non-interference in internal affairs."
He went on to say that any talks will need to take place "without additional pressure" and noted that Havana won't accept external conditions. "We don't impose conditions on anyone, but don't accept them to be imposed on us either."
In the meantime, Cuba continues to endure severe fuel shortages. A ship potentially carrying Russian fuel is on its way to the country, potentially challenging the blockade imposed to the U.S. on the island, according to a recent report.
Bloomberg detailed that the Sea Horse is expected to arrive to the beleaguered Caribbean island in early March. The vessel received ship-to-ship transfer off the coast of Cyprus and is believed to be carrying some 200,000 barrels of gasoil, according to maritime intelligence firm Kpler.
© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
