Cuban ambassador rejects ‘surrender’ talk, calls for US negotiations as sanctions tighten

Cuban Ambassador to the U.N. Ernesto Soberón Guzmán pushed back on suggestions that the communist regime could cave under mounting U.S. pressure, as the Trump administration ramps up sanctions amid a deepening economic crisis on the island.

"If someone thinks that words like 'give up, surrender, or collapse' are in the Cuban dictionary, in the people's dictionary, that person, those peoples, are sorely mistaken," Guzmán told "America's Newsroom."

"In the Cuban dictionary, you will find words like resilience, resistance, defense of sovereignty and defense of our independence."

The ambassador’s comments came in response to recent remarks from President Donald Trump, who suggested the U.S. could quickly "[take] over" Cuba once the Iran conflict has ended.

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"On the way back from Iran, we'll have one of our big — maybe the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, the biggest in the world — we'll have that come in, stop about 100 yards offshore, and they'll say, 'Thank you very much. We give up,'" the president said.

Guzmán's remarks also come as new sanctions from the Trump administration target countries and companies that do business with Cuba, particularly those supplying oil, tightening pressure on Havana as it grapples with soaring prices, fuel shortages and widespread power outages.

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The island nation is facing one of its worst economic crises in decades, with reports of gasoline prices skyrocketing and essential goods becoming increasingly scarce.

A United Nations official recently warned that Cuba is "running out of time" as fuel shortages threaten critical services.

Despite the growing strain and tensions with the U.S., Guzmán signaled that Havana remains open to negotiations with Washington, while insisting any relationship between the two entities should be based on "reciprocity."

"We are ready to talk with the U.S. government and to have a different kind of relation[s]… beneficial for both parts," he said.