U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said no more Venezuelan oil or money will go to Cuba and suggested the Communist-run island should strike a deal with Washington, ramping up pressure on the long-time U.S. nemesis and provoking defiant words from the island\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n
Venezuela is Cuba\u2019s biggest oil supplier, but no cargoes have departed from Venezuelan ports to the Caribbean country since the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces in early January amid a strict U.S. oil blockade on the OPEC country, shipping data shows.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Caracas and Washington are progressing on a $2 billion deal to supply up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil to the U.S. with proceeds to be deposited in U.S. Treasury-supervised accounts, a major test of the emerging relationship between Trump and interim President Delcy Rodriguez.<\/p>\n
\u201cTHERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE,\u201d Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cCuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela,\u201d Trump added.<\/p>\n
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel rejected Trump\u2019s threat on social media, suggesting the U.S. had no moral authority to force a deal on Cuba.<\/p>\n
\u201cCuba is a free, independent, and sovereign nation. Nobody dictates what we do,\u201d Diaz-Canel said on X. \u201cCuba does not attack; it has been attacked by the U.S. for 66 years, and it does not threaten; it prepares, ready to defend the homeland to the last drop of blood.\u201d<\/p>\n
The U.S. president did not elaborate on his suggested deal.<\/p>\n
But Trump\u2019s push on Cuba represents the latest escalation in his move to bring regional powers in line with the United States and underscores the seriousness of the administration\u2019s ambition to dominate the Western Hemisphere.<\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s top officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have made no secret of their expectation that the recent U.S. intervention in Venezuela could push Cuba over the edge.<\/p>\n
U.S. officials have hardened their rhetoric against Cuba in recent weeks, though the two countries have been at odds since former leader Fidel Castro\u2019s 1959 revolution.<\/p>\n
CUBA DEFENDS IMPORT RIGHTS<\/p>\n
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said in another post on X on Sunday that Cuba had the right to import fuel from any suppliers willing to export it. He also denied that Cuba had received financial or other \u201cmaterial\u201d compensation in return for security services provided to any country.<\/p>\n
Thirty-two members of Cuba\u2019s armed forces and intelligence services were killed during the U.S. raid on Venezuela. Cuba said those killed were responsible for \u201csecurity and defense\u201d but did not provide details on the arrangement between the two long-time allies.<\/p>\n
Cuba relies on imported crude and fuel mainly provided by Venezuela, and Mexico in smaller volumes, purchased on the open market to keep its power generators and vehicles running.<\/p>\n
As its operational refining capacity dwindled in recent years, Venezuela\u2019s supply of crude and fuel to Cuba has fallen. But the South American country is still the largest provider with some 26,500 barrels per day exported last year, according to ship tracking data and internal documents of state-run PDVSA, which covered roughly 50% of Cuba\u2019s oil deficit.<\/p>\n
Havana produce vendor Alberto Jimenez, 45, said Cuba would not back down in the face of Trump\u2019s threat.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn\u2019t scare me. Not at all. The Cuban people are prepared for anything,\u201d Jimenez said.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s hard for many Cubans to imagine a situation much worse. The island\u2019s government has been struggling to keep the lights on. A majority live without electricity for much of the day, and even the capital Havana has seen its economy crippled by hours-long rolling blackouts.<\/p>\n
Shortages of food, fuel and medicine have put Cubans on edge and have prompted a record-breaking exodus, primarily to the United States, in the past five years.<\/p>\n
MEXICO BECOMES KEY SUPPLIER<\/p>\n
Mexico has emerged in recent weeks as a critical alternative oil supplier to the island, but the supply remains small, according to the shipping data.<\/p>\n
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum last week said her country had not increased supply volumes, but given recent political events in Venezuela, Mexico had turned into an \u201cimportant supplier\u201d of crude to Cuba.<\/p>\n
U.S. intelligence has painted a grim picture of Cuba\u2019s economic and political situation, but its assessments offer no clear support for Trump\u2019s prediction that the island is \u201cready to fall,\u201d Reuters reported on Saturday, citing three people familiar with the confidential assessments.<\/p>\n
The CIA\u2019s view is that key sectors of the Cuban economy, such as agriculture and tourism, are severely strained by frequent blackouts, trade sanctions and other problems. The potential loss of oil imports and other support from Venezuela could make governing more difficult for Diaz-Canel.<\/p>\n
Havana resident and parking attendant Maria Elena Sabina, a 58-year-old born shortly after Castro took power, said it was time for Cuba\u2019s leaders to make changes amid so much suffering.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no electricity here, no gas, not even liquefied gas. There\u2019s nothing here,\u201d Sabina said. \u201cSo yes, a change is needed, a change is needed, and quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Source: Reuters<\/p>\n
–Agencies<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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