Amanpour (CNN Podcasts)

Episode: Top Cuban Official Reacts to US Pressure in Rare Interview

Date: February 7, 2026
Host: Bianna Golodryga (in for Christiane Amanpour)

Overview

This episode of Amanpour features a rare and exclusive interview with Carlos Fernandez de Cosio, Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister and top diplomat for US affairs, focusing on US pressure on Cuba’s economy, the longstanding embargo, and the prospects for bilateral dialogue. The episode also features segments on a powerful new Brazilian film about dictatorship, an investigative report on the recruitment of African men into Russia’s war in Ukraine, the influence of Kremlin propaganda in Russian schools, and archival reporting on the Olympics.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. US–Cuba Tensions & Prospects for Dialogue

(00:42–10:01)

• Immediate Crisis:

  • Cuba faces fuel shortages with days of oil remaining. The US has intensified its longstanding embargo, blocking oil from Venezuela, pressuring Mexico, and warning other exporters.
  • The embargo is causing severe blackouts and threatening the collapse of critical infrastructure.

• Cuba’s Openness to Dialogue:

  • Carlos Fernandez de Cosio states Cuba is ready for a "meaningful dialogue" but notes "there’s no set bilateral dialogue at this moment."

    “The US Government knows that Cuba is ready and has been ready for a long Time to have a meaningful dialogue with the US Government to deal with our bilateral issues.” — Carlos Fernandez de Cosio (03:09)

• Contradictions & US Leadership Goals:

  • Golodryga presses on whether recent Cuban statements signal a policy change, referencing harsher rhetoric the previous week.
  • De Cosio insists there is no contradiction, arguing:

    "The president…was calling the actions taken by the United States as they are. And he also said very clearly that Cuba is ready to have a serious and responsible dialogue..." (04:03)

• On Regime Change:

  • US politicians have explicitly called for regime change.

    “Cuba poses no threat to the United States. It is not aggressive… nor sponsors terrorism… The allegations that they used are not truthful… [but] our plan...would never be to change the government, what we have in Cuba, nor the system or economic or political system that we have in Cuba.” — Carlos Fernandez de Cosio (04:48)

• Economic “Choking” and Survival:

  • The embargo is described as an attempt to "choke Cuba economically."

    “They are attempting to choke Cuba economically…We have to take a look at our plans, how we use a great quote of austerity, stoicism, sacrifice, and try to overcome reality with the possibility of having very little…” (06:11)

• Non-Negotiable Red Lines:

  • De Cosio draws parallels: Cuba won't negotiate its constitutional system, just as the US wouldn’t either.
  • Suggests many areas for cooperation exist—in science, health, education, and people-to-people exchanges—if the US eases its "illegitimate pressure" (07:03–08:11).

• Rumors of US Plans to Oust Cuban Leaders:

  • De Cosio acknowledges historic US efforts for regime change, but asserts unity within Cuban leadership and society:

    “The Cuban government is united. It's united behind its president and it's got the support of the majority of the population…But as I said at the beginning, we are ready to sit down with the US and have a meaningful, serious and responsible dialogue.” (08:50)

2. Film Spotlight: ‘The Secret Agent’ — Memory, Dictatorship, and Democracy in Brazil

(11:26–20:10)

• About the Film:

  • Oscar-favorite The Secret Agent is a critically acclaimed Brazilian thriller set in the 1970s under military rule. It explores themes of corruption, repression, and the dangers of forgetting history.

• Interview with Star Wagner Moura and Director Kleber Mendonça Filho:

  • Moura relates the film’s themes to recent Brazilian politics:

    “First thing that they do is to attack universities…academics, journalists, and artists…We cannot take democracy for granted.” — Wagner Moura (13:08)

  • Filho notes under dictatorship, anyone can feel like a secret agent:

    “Once the democratic system breaks down, any normal, honest citizen…may begin to feel like a secret agent… just because the things you stand for…can put you under persecution.” — Kleber Mendonça Filho (13:56)

• On Historical Amnesia:

  • Moura blames Brazil’s Amnesty Law for allowing past crimes to go unpunished and enabling Bolsonaro’s rise:

    “If we don't have our history told correctly…then we have a memory problem…Bolsonaro wouldn’t have been elected if it wasn't because of the amnesty law…” (15:03)

  • Filho:

    “Cinema is memory…But in my mind, it's really a film about amnesia…many societies…want to forget because it's not comfortable…” (16:47, 17:58)

• Contemporary Resonance:

  • Moura references calls in the US to “move on” from political crises, warning it enables societal amnesia:

    “The moving on thing, that’s what caused the amnesia in Brazil.” (18:13)

3. African Recruits on the Russian Front Lines

(20:25–25:58)

• Investigative Report by Larry Madoo:

  • Shocking video shows African recruits conscripted by Russia to storm Ukrainian positions—often with just weeks of training, sometimes coerced or misled about conditions.

• Testimonies:

  • Families recount losing contact with loved ones pressured into active combat.
  • Salaries and promises of Russian citizenship often unmet; many African fighters face racism and abandonment.

    “So the only way to leave is to escape. Escape or you die. It’s only two ways.” — Patrick Koba, returnee (24:40)

• Recruitment Tactics:

  • Promises of bonuses and high pay are false; some are forced into contracts in Russian, without translation or legal support.
  • Suffering, injury, and trauma are widespread.
  • The Russian Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

4. Indoctrination: Russia’s Propaganda in Schools

(27:21–33:28)

• Documentary ‘Mr. Nobody against Putin’:

  • Focuses on the covert footage of Pasha, a Russian teacher documenting his school’s forced transformation into a military recruitment center.
  • Pasha had to flee the country to get the footage out.

• Interview with Co-director David Borenstein:

  • Borenstein describes Pasha as an everyman teacher who wanted to show the world the reality:

    “He never wavered. He shot undercover…he had to flee Russia in order to get this footage out and put the film out into the world.” (26:34, 28:29)

  • The film reveals the orchestration of imperialist propaganda targeting the youngest Russians, including presence from the notorious Wagner mercenary group.

    “Putin has absolutely no intention of stopping with Ukraine…these lessons…preparation and creation of a new generation of kids…for empire and war.” — David Borenstein (30:32)

  • Teachers are left to choose between compliance, resistance, or silent complicity—a potent example of the “banality of evil.”

    “So many of the teachers…they’re doing it half-heartedly… they're going along with it, but they don’t believe in it…a potent example of the banality of evil.” (32:44)

5. Archival: The Talent Search for 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics Performers

(34:40–36:42)

• Christiane Amanpour revisits a story on US high school singers competing for a chance to perform at the Winter Olympics opening ceremonies.
• Highlights youth, diversity, and aspiration in line with Olympic ideals.

6. Good News Story: Australian Teen’s Daring Sea Rescue

(36:57–39:08)

• 13-year-old Austin Appleby becomes a national hero for swimming two and a half miles through challenging waters to raise the alarm and save his family after a kayaking accident off Australia’s West Coast.
  • Austin:

    “I was just thinking…not today, not today, not today. I have to keep on going.” (38:52)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On US–Cuba Dialogue:

  "We are ready to sit down with the US and have a meaningful, serious and responsible dialogue. And let's look at our differences, the real differences."
  — Carlos Fernandez de Cosio (08:50)

• On Memory and Democracy:

  "If we don't have our history told correctly, or if we have things like the Amnesty Law…then we have a memory problem."
  — Wagner Moura (15:03)

• On Forgetting vs. Accountability:

  "The moving on thing, that's what caused our…amnesia in Brazil."
  — Wagner Moura (18:13)

• On African Recruits in Russia:

  “Escape or you die. It's only two ways.”
  — Patrick Koba, survivor (24:40)

• On the Banality of Evil:

  "So many of the teachers…they’re doing it very half-heartedly…they’re going along with it, but they don’t believe in it. A potent example of the banality of evil."
  — David Borenstein (32:44)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Cuba crisis and US pressure: 00:42–10:01
• Brazilian film on dictatorship and memory: 11:26–20:10
• Russia’s African recruits: 20:25–25:58
• Russian school propaganda documentary: 27:21–33:28
• Winter Olympics performer archive: 34:40–36:42
• Australian teen sea rescue: 36:57–39:08

Episode Takeaways

• Cuba’s leadership reaffirms resistance to US-imposed regime change, highlighting willingness for respectful dialogue but standing firm on sovereignty.
• Brazilian creatives warn of the dangers of historical amnesia, linking art, memory, and the defense of democracy.
• Investigative reporting exposes the human cost and exploitation involved in recruitment of African men for Russia’s war effort.
• Documentary filmmaking continues to play a powerful role in exposing autocracy and the indoctrination machinery, especially among youth.
• Amidst darkness, stories of individual heroism and global aspiration (Olympics, Australian teen) punctuate the program with hope.

This summary captures all major points and notable quotes, arranged by topic and timestamp for easy reference.