US President Donald Trump has warned Cuba that it will no longer receive oil and financial support from Venezuela, urging the island nation to negotiate a deal with Washington. In a statement on his social media platform, Trump emphasized that Cuba has long relied on subsidized oil and financial aid from Venezuela, but this support has ceased due to a strict US-led oil blockade.
According to shipping data, no crude oil cargoes have been transported from Venezuela to Cuba since early January, when Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was abducted by American forces. The US blockade has effectively halted oil deliveries, leaving Cuba without a vital source of energy.
Trump’s warning to Cuba comes as the island nation faces a deepening economic crisis. The US president has suggested that Cuba make a deal with Washington “before it’s too late,” implying that the country’s situation will worsen without a resolution. However, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has rejected Trump’s threat, stating that Cuba is a sovereign nation that will not be dictated to by the US.
The US has maintained a comprehensive trade embargo on Cuba since the 1960s, which has been eased slightly by the Obama and Biden administrations. However, Trump reinstated Cuba on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, sharpening American rhetoric towards the island nation.
Meanwhile, Venezuela and the US are reportedly discussing a $2 billion deal that would allow Venezuela to supply up to 50 million barrels of crude oil to the US, with the proceeds held in Treasury-supervised accounts. Senior US officials believe that the US intervention in Venezuela could push Cuba to the brink, given the close alliance between the two nations.
The situation highlights the complex and tense relationships between the US, Cuba, and Venezuela. As the US continues to exert pressure on Cuba, the island nation’s economic crisis is likely to deepen, with significant implications for the region. The US-Cuba standoff is expected to continue, with no clear resolution in sight.
