The United States reportedly offered oil to Cuba in exchange for the departure of Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, according to information published by the Miami Herald. The diplomatic conversations reportedly took place during a period of great economic pressure on the Caribbean island.
The negotiations occurred at a moment of "maximum asphyxiation" for Cuba, when the country was facing serious economic and political difficulties. The situation worsened significantly after the departure from power in Venezuela of former President Nicolás Maduro, who was Havana's main international ally.
Maduro left office during a US military operation carried out in Venezuela in January, which represented a hard blow for the Cuban government, which lost its main regional support and source of subsidized oil supply.
This episode is part of a broader context of tension between the United States and left-leaning governments in Latin America, at a time when Washington was seeking to weaken the so-called "troika of tyranny" composed of Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.
