Talk to Al Jazeera

Fernandez: Cuba is not ready to ‘sacrifice’ socialism

Cuba’s deputy foreign minister discusses decades of hostile relations with the US.

Leaders of the Americas prepare to gather in Los Angeles on June 6 for their ninth regional summit. But Washington has announced Cuba will be excluded, arguing the Caribbean nation does not meet the required democratic standards.

United States-Cuban relations have been hostile ever since Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution. In 2016, President Obama visited the island, calling the occasion an “historic opportunity” to leave the Cold War behind.

But under President Trump, all opportunities were lost. And now, under President Biden, relations remain tense.

So, what is next for the two countries? Cuba’s deputy foreign minister, Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, talks to Al Jazeera.