Tankers dock astatine the Matanzas terminal arsenic Cubans brace for worsening substance shortages aft the U.S. seized Venezuela-linked tankers, cutting a captious vigor lifeline successful Matanzas, Cuba, Jan. 7, 2026.
Norlys Perez | Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump connected Sunday said nary much Venezuelan lipid oregon wealth volition spell to Cuba and suggested the Communist-run land should onslaught a woody with Washington, ramping up unit connected the longtime U.S. nemesis.
Venezuela is Cuba's biggest lipid supplier, but nary cargoes person departed from Venezuelan ports to the Caribbean state since the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces successful aboriginal January amid a strict U.S. lipid blockade connected the OPEC country, shipping information shows.
Meanwhile, Caracas and Washington are progressing connected a $2 cardinal woody to proviso up to 50 cardinal barrels of Venezuelan lipid to the U.S., with proceeds to beryllium deposited successful U.S. Treasury-supervised accounts, a large trial of the emerging narration betwixt Trump and interim President Delcy Rodriguez.
"THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO! I powerfully suggest they marque a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE," Trump wrote connected his Truth Social level connected Sunday.
"Cuba lived, for galore years, connected ample amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela," Trump added.
Trump did not elaborate connected his suggested deal. U.S. officials person hardened their rhetoric against Cuba successful caller weeks.
Cuba defends import rights
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said successful a station connected X connected Sunday that Cuba had the close to import substance from immoderate suppliers consenting to export it. He besides denied that Cuba had received fiscal oregon different "material" compensation successful instrumentality for information services provided to immoderate country.
Thirty-two members of Cuba's equipped forces and quality services were killed during the U.S. raid connected Venezuela. Cuba said those killed were liable for "security and defense" but did not supply details connected the statement betwixt the 2 long-time allies.
Cuba relies connected imported crude and fuel, chiefly provided by Venezuela, and Mexico successful smaller volumes, purchased connected the unfastened marketplace to support its powerfulness generators and vehicles running.
As its operational refining capableness dwindled successful caller years, Venezuela's proviso of crude and substance to Cuba has fallen. But the South American state is inactive the largest supplier with immoderate 26,500 barrels per time exported past year, according to vessel tracking information and interior documents of state-run PDVSA, which covered astir 50% of Cuba's lipid deficit.
Mexico has emerged successful caller weeks arsenic a captious alternate lipid supplier to the island, but the proviso remains small, according to the shipping data.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum past week said her state had not accrued proviso volumes, but fixed caller governmental events successful Venezuela, Mexico had turned into an "important supplier" of crude to Cuba.
U.S. quality has painted a grim representation of Cuba's economical and governmental situation, but its assessments connection nary wide enactment for Trump's prediction that the land is "ready to fall," Reuters reported connected Saturday, citing 3 radical acquainted with the confidential assessments.
The CIA's presumption is that cardinal sectors of the Cuban economy, specified arsenic agriculture and tourism, are severely strained by predominant blackouts, commercialized sanctions and different problems. The imaginable nonaccomplishment of lipid imports and different enactment from Venezuela, for decades a cardinal ally, could marque governing much hard for President Miguel Diaz Canel.
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