U.S. Won't Offer Amnesty To Top Cuban Officials In Negotiation Over The Future Of The Island: Report

The Trump administration won't offer amnesty to top Cuban officials as it negotiates the future of the beleaguered Caribbean country, which teeters on the brink of collapse and faces acute fuel shortages, according to a new report.

Spanish outlet ABC Internacional detailed that so far conversations have only revolved around economic issues, including oil shipments to the island.

The central figure, it added, is Raul Castro, brother of Fidel and leader of the regime for years. He has been sanctioned by the U.S. since 2019 and could be accused of being an accomplice of Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela's former president who was captured by U.S. forces in early January.

"As first secretary of Cuba's armed forces, Castro is responsible for Cuba's actions to uphold the Maduro regime in Venezuela through violence, intimidation and repression," said the State Department in 2019 when it sanctioned him.

It is unclear if the stance will have an impact in broader negotiations, which ABC Internacional claimed in another report revolves around opening up the economy in exchange for not being overthrown. The talks are reportedly being led by Alejandro Castro Espin, son of Raul and Nephew of Fidel. He is said to be engaging with the CIA in Mexico.

The outlet added the Trump administration could begin ending its blockade on the island in exchange for Cuba allowing the entry of U.S. companies to strategic sectors such as energy, tourism, banking and telecommunications.

A first gesture could be for the U.S. to sell Cuba the oil it needs to avoid a collapse. A report from the Financial Times last week claimed that the country has less than a month worth of oil at current levels of demand and domestic production.

Citing data company Kpler, the outlet noted on January 29 that the country had oil to last 15 to 20 days unless deliveries resume. "They have a major crisis on their hands" Jorge Piñon, an oil expert at the University of Texas told the outlet.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said the country is making preparations to face "acute fuel shortages." "We'll live through tough times. These, in particular, are very tough," Diaz-Canel told press on Thursday. Others are echoing the warnings. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned Cuba could "collapse" if the current situation continues.

Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for Guterres, told press that the secretary general is "extremely concerned about the humanitarian situation" in the Caribbean country, which will "worsen, if not collapse, if its oil needs go unmet."

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