A defiant Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said he won’t step down as Cuba’s president if pressured by U.S. officials during talks between the two countries.
His remarks were broadcast on April 9 during an interview in Havana with NBC's Meet the Press anchor Kristen Welker.
Pressed by Welker whether he would consider stepping down if the U.S. insisted, Díaz-Canel leaned forward in his seat.
“Would you ask that question of Trump?” he said, adding, “in Cuba, the people who are in leadership positions are not elected by the U.S. government. They don’t have a mandate by the U.S. government.”
Díaz-Canel’s comments come in the wake of news that U.S. and Cuban officials have met to discuss future relations between the two longtime Cold War foes. Trump officials have said the initial talk focused on expanding economic ties between the U.S. and Cuba.
