Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga denies political ambitions and Trump links

Denial of Corporate Contacts Linked to Trump

Pérez-Oliva Fraga directly addressed recent international media reports regarding business overtures toward the Cuban government. “I am not aware of any company directly linked to President Trump having made contact with Cuba,” the vice prime minister told Reuters, adding that neither he nor any other Cuban official has held meetings with representatives from such firms. The statements followed reporting by The Guardian indicating that corporate executives associated with the Trump Organization had traveled to Cuba under the auspices of Dominari Holdings and met with Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro—known as “El Cangrejo”—who is a grandson of Raúl Castro. The Guardian and other outlets, including The New York Times, previously noted that business figures connected to the Trump orbit had explored opportunities on the island, echoing visits that occurred in 2016 involving tourism sector talks.

Rejection of Political Succession Rumors

Amid a backdrop of intense diplomatic pressure from Washington and persistent speculation about his potential rise within the ruling structure, Pérez-Oliva Fraga explicitly dismissed the possibility of succeeding President Miguel Díaz-Canel. “I have no aspirations in that sense,” he told Reuters. “I am simply a public servant, and I will work where I am needed, without aspiring to any particular position.” His rapid ascent through the government has drawn close attention from foreign observers. The official is the son of Mirsa Fraga Castro and the grandson of Ángela Castro Ruz, the elder sister of Fidel and Raúl Castro who died in 2013, making him a great-nephew of the historical leaders of the Cuban Revolution. After working as a business evaluation director in the Mariel Special Development Zone, Pérez-Oliva Fraga was appointed Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment in May 2024 to replace Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz. In October 2025, he was promoted to vice prime minister while retaining his ministerial post, and he joined the National Assembly of People’s Power as a deputy in December 2025—a constitutional requirement for holding the presidency.

Economic Reforms and U.S. Embargo Stance

During the September 2026 interview, Pérez-Oliva Fraga defended the package of 176 market-oriented reforms approved by the National Assembly in June 2026, which local and foreign media described as some of the most significant adjustments to Cuba’s socialist economic model in decades. He maintained that Havana does not maintain a policy against U.S. companies trading or investing on the island. “It is not Cuba’s policy to prohibit U.S. companies from investing in Cuba, trading with Cuba, or doing business of any kind with Cuba,” Pérez-Oliva Fraga stated, pointing to the U.S. commercial embargo as the primary barrier. He also criticized U.S. measures permitting certain American firms to export fuel to the Cuban private sector, asserting that such policies aim to create economic dependence and push the island back into colonial subordination. “We will never again be a colony of any country,” he affirmed.