Trump Warns Cuba: No More Venezuelan Oil—Urges a Deal Now
Trump Warns Cuba: No More Venezuelan Oil—Urges a Deal Now
Trump pushes Cuba to strike a deal as Washington tightens energy pressure after Maduro's capture, threatening to cut off Venezuelan oil and money.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday urged Cuba to strike a deal with Washington, warning that Havana would no longer receive oil or money from Venezuela. Venezuela has long been Cuba’s biggest oil supplier, but after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured by U.S. forces, Trump pressed interim President Delcy Rodríguez to send Venezuelan oil to the United States. "THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE," he wrote on his Truth Social account on Sunday. The remarks come as U.S. intelligence has painted a grim picture of Cuba’s economy, though assessments offer no clear evidence that Cuba is ready to collapse. The CIA’s view is that sectors like agriculture and tourism are strained by blackouts and sanctions. The potential loss of Venezuelan oil could make governance more difficult for the Cuban leadership that has ruled since 1959.
On Cuba, the loss of oil is devastating. Between January and November of last year, Venezuela sent an average of 27,000 barrels per day to the island, covering roughly 50% of Cuba’s oil deficit, according to shipping data and documents from Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA. The call for a deal underscores how Washington seeks to reshape energy ties in the region and pressure Havana, while Cuba faces a delicate balancing act between maintaining some economic ties with Caracas and preserving standing with Washington. If Cuba agrees to a deal, it could stabilize supplies and a portion of its deficit, but it would also deepen Cuba’s exposure to U.S. policy and energy markets.
