Cuba’s vice premier and minister of foreign trade and foreign investment
Perez-Oliva denied reports that companies linked to U.S. President Trump visited
Cuba this year to discuss business, saying neither he nor other Cuban officials
met representatives of Trump-linked firms. He said U.S. trade sanctions remain
the biggest barrier to advancing market-oriented reforms and urged Washington to
ease restrictions, citing a January oil blockade that nearly cut Cuba off from
major fuel suppliers including Mexico and Venezuela.