[Cuba Official: Cuba and the United States Maintain “Communication Channels”] On October 6, Llanice Torres Rivera, charge d’affaires of the Cuban Embassy in the United States, said in an interview on the 5th that Cuba and the United States maintain “communication channels” but have not launched any formal negotiations. Torres said that Cuba is open to "mutually respectful dialogue" between Cuba and the United States. Diplomatic contacts between the two sides include meetings, phone calls and communication through chat software, but the two sides have not made any progress in finalizing the negotiation agenda or restarting formal negotiations. Torres did not disclose the time, theme, and participants of the “communication” between Cuba and the United States.