Carlos Fernández de Cossío, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba (2022- ), shared the following three observations during an interview on 25 September 2026 with Bloomberg during the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City, New York.

“If the US eases the amount of pressure, then those transformations in Cuba can go a long way and become truly irreversible, which is our aim and in theory is what the US wants to happen.”
“The resources in Cuba belong to the people of Cuba. Our government does not have the right to deprive them of that and hand it over to another country.”

Link: DOD (War) OSC Could Be U.S. Taxpayer Partner Of Last Resort For Canada’s Sherritt And Australia’s Antilles. Cobalt, Copper, Gold, Nickel, Silver Are Strategic Minerals. August 30, 2026

Link: Cuba: And Now There Are Two… Antilles Gold Has Until 25 January 2027 And Sherritt International Has Until 12 October 2026 August 27, 2026

Link: Potential Triple Play? Carney, Diaz-Canel, Trump Deal. U.S. Secretary Of Defense Hegseth Wants Cobalt. Cuba Has It. Settling One Libertad Act Issue. And Opening Doors? August 23, 2025

Third-party mediator: “wouldn't discard it… It’s not that we need someone to put us together in a specific place.”

Link: The Negotiator-in-Chief For Cuba: We’re Grown-Ups- Let’s Make A Deal; Calling Mr. Kenneth Feinberg December 01, 2016

There are 8,821 claims of which 5,913 awards valued at US$1,902,202,284.95 were certified by the United States Foreign Claims Settlement Commission (USFCSC) and have not been resolved for nearing sixty years (some assets were officially confiscated in the 1960’s, some in the 1970’s and some in the 1990’s). The USFCSC permitted simple interest (not compound interest) of 6% per annum (approximately US$114,132,137.10); with the approximate current value of the 5,913 certified claims is approximately US$9.4 billion.

The first asset (along with 382 enterprises the same day) to be expropriated by the Republic of Cuba was an oil refinery on 6 August 1960 owned by White Plains, New York-based Texaco, Inc., now a subsidiary of San Ramon, California-based Chevron Corporation (USFCSC: CU-1331/CU-1332/CU-1333 valued at US$56,196,422.73).

From the certified claim filed by Texaco: “The Cuban corporation was intervened on June 29, 1960, pursuant to Resolution 188 of June 28, 1960, under Law 635 of 1959. Resolution 188 was promulgated by the Government of Cuba when the Cuban corporation assertedly refused to refine certain crude oil as assertedly provided under a 1938 law pertaining to combustible materials. Subsequently, this Cuban firm was listed as nationalized in Resolution 19 of August 6, 1960, pursuant to Cuban Law 851. The Commission finds, however, that the Cuban corporation was effectively intervened within the meaning of Title V of the Act by the Government of Cuba on June 29, 1960.”

The largest certified claim (Cuban Electric Company) valued at US$267,568,413.62 is controlled by Boca Raton, Florida-based Office Depot, Inc. The second-largest certified claim (International Telephone and Telegraph Co, ITT as Trustee, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.) valued at US$181,808,794.14 is controlled by Bethesda, Maryland-based Marriott International; the certified claim also includes land adjacent to the Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, Republic of Cuba. The third-largest certified claim valued at US$97,373,414.72 is controlled by New York, New York-based North American Sugar Industries, Inc. The smallest certified claim is by Sara W. Fishman in the amount of US$1.00 with reference to the Cuban-Venezuelan Oil Voting Trust.

The two (2) largest certified claims total US$449,377,207.76, representing 24% of the total value of the certified claims. Thirty (30) certified claimants hold 56% of the total value of the certified claims. This concentration of value creates an efficient pathway towards a settlement.

Links To Related Analyses

Troika To Negotiate Settlement Of Certified Claims Against Cuba? Kushner, Greenblatt & Feinberg December 11, 2018

Background Interview With Trump Administration Officials April 08, 2019

Is It Time For President Trump To Appoint A Special Representative For Cuba? February 12, 2020

President Biden: A Special Presidential Representative For Cuba Negotiations- With Or Without An Ambassador January 31, 2021

Cuba Could Resolve Western Union's Certified Claim By Waiving Four Months Of Electronic Remittance Transfer Fees. Biden Administration Should Support And Negotiate Certified Claims Settlement. September 17, 2021