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Miguel Díaz-Canel

Miguel Díaz-Canel

President of Cuba

Appears in 3 stories

Born: 1960 (age 65 years), Santa Clara, Cuba
Spouse: Lis Cuesta Peraza (m. 2009)
Children: Miguel Díaz-Canel Villanueva and Jenny Díaz-Canel Villanueva
Party: Communist Party of Cuba
Education: Central University "Marta Abreu" of Las Villas (1982)
Parents: Aida Bermudez and Miguel Díaz-Canel
Presidential terms: October 10, 2019 – and April 19, 2018 – October 10, 2019

Notable Quotes

"It's not Washington that decides whether I go or stay." — March 2026

"The political system of Cuba is not up for negotiation." — via Vice Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío, March 20, 2026

"Cuba is not a failed state. Cuba is a besieged state." — April 16, 2026, Bay of Pigs anniversary speech

Stories

US oil blockade pushes Cuba toward its biggest political test in decades

Force in Play

Warned a US attack would trigger 'a bloodbath with incalculable consequences'; denied Cuba has aggressive intentions; facing Pentagon military planning and USS Nimitz in the Caribbean

The USS Nimitz carrier strike group entered the Caribbean on May 21. The Pentagon was developing military options for Trump while the US intelligence community mapped how Cuba would respond to an attack. One day after issuing a $100 million aid offer and indicting Raúl Castro, Secretary of State Rubio said a negotiated settlement was unlikely.

Updated May 30

Cuba's power grid collapses repeatedly as US oil blockade cuts fuel supply

Built World

Leading crisis response; US has demanded his removal as precondition for relief

Cuba's national power grid collapsed for the fourth time in March on March 21, leaving more than 10 million people without electricity. The failure at the Nuevitas thermoelectric plant in Camagüey province triggered a cascading collapse across the entire system, which was restored by March 23.

Updated May 30

America's oil squeeze on Cuba

Force in Play

Vowed 'unyielding resistance' amid partial power restoration after March 17-18 grid collapse; facing ongoing civil unrest

The United States has imposed economic pressure on Cuba for 64 years. Now, for the first time, Washington is threatening to punish any country that sells oil to the island. President Trump's January 29 executive order creates a tariff mechanism targeting third countries that supply Cuban fuel—a significant escalation that goes beyond traditional bilateral sanctions to coerce allies and trading partners into joining an energy blockade. The strategy has proven devastatingly effective: Cuba's national power grid collapsed entirely on March 17, 2026, leaving approximately 10 million people without electricity and triggering ten consecutive days of street protests, the most visible civil unrest in years. Partial restoration occurred on March 18 after 29 hours, but the blackout deepened shortages of food, medicine, and water, including the vandalization of a Cuban Communist Party provincial office in Morón. On March 21, Cuba blocked a US Embassy request to import diesel for generators, escalating diplomatic tensions amid ongoing rolling blackouts.

Updated May 29