PROFILE: Trump administration said to tell Cuba its president, Diaz-Canel has to go, NYT reports

Record ID: 2365870

  • Title: PROFILE: Trump administration said to tell Cuba its president, Diaz-Canel has to go, NYT reports
  • Date: 16th March 2026
  • Summary: A deadly explosion hit a well-known hotel in downtown Havana on May 6, 2022, tearing a gash several floors high in the side of the building, killing at least 47 people and injuring upwards of 70, state media said. President Miguel Diaz-Canel said the blast at the historic, high-end Hotel Saratoga appeared to have been caused by a gas leak. HAVANA, CUBA (FILE – MAY 6, 2022)
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Castro succesor Cuba's President Cuban leader Havana Miguel Díaz-Canel President of Cuba
  • Location: VARIOUS
  • City: VARIOUS
  • Country: Cuba
  • Topics: South America / Central America,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA00M574620092024RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: U.S. president Donald Trump's administration is pressuring Cuba to remove President Miguel Diaz-Canel as a condition for broader deals, the New York Times reported on Monday (March 16). Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
    Officials view him as a hard-line, symbolic leader blamed for repression, economic collapse and blackouts. Though formally president, he is portrayed as a figurehead overshadowed by Castro allies and military power.
     
    U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday told reporters at the White House that he thinks he will have the "honor" of taking Cuba, adding to the pressure on the island's government.
    Miguel Diaz-Canel, a prominent figure in Cuba's Communist Party, was named Cuba's first vice president on February 24, 2013, marking a significant generational shift in the country's leadership.
    His appointment was a surprise move by the parliament, positioning him as the potential successor to then-President Raul Castro. Raul, who had taken over from his brother Fidel Castro in 2008 and assumed the first secretary role in 2011, continued to lead Cuba until Diaz-Canel's ascension.
    A stalwart of the Communist Party, Diaz-Canel rose through the ranks, gaining visibility and support as a potential leader. On April 19, 2018, he replaced Raul Castro as president, ushering in a new chapter for the island after nearly six decades of Castro rule. Despite this leadership change, the aim remained to preserve Cuban socialism.
    In his first address to the United Nations General Assembly as President, Diaz-Canel took a firm stance against the United States' blockade of Cuba, describing it as a measure intended to "strangle the Cuban economy" and undermine the country's constitutional order. His speech highlighted his commitment to defending Cuba's sovereignty and addressing international relations with a focus on national resilience.
    (Production: Anett Rios, Gloria Lartigue, Ivan Romero)
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