Trump Presses Cuba to Strike deal with U.S. “Before It’s Too Late”
“THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account, adding: “Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela.” He followed with a stark warning: “I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”
Cuba, a longtime ally of Venezuela, has relied heavily on subsidized crude from the OPEC member. But shipments have ceased since early January, when President Nicolas Maduro was abducted by American forces and a US-led oil blockade halted exports. Shipping data confirm no cargoes have departed Venezuelan ports for Cuba since then.
The confrontation escalated after a US raid earlier this month left dozens of Venezuelan and Cuban security personnel dead. Trump later said Cuba was “ready to fall,” citing the island’s worsening economic crisis and its dependence on Venezuelan energy supplies.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel rejected Trump’s ultimatum, writing on X: “Cuba is a free, independent and sovereign nation. Nobody dictates what we do.” He added that the island had endured decades of US pressure and would defend itself if necessary.
Meanwhile, Caracas and Washington are reportedly advancing a $2 billion agreement under which Venezuela would deliver up to 50 million barrels of crude to the United States, with revenues held in Treasury-supervised accounts.
Senior Trump officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have argued that US intervention in Venezuela could push Cuba to the brink. American rhetoric toward Havana has sharpened in recent weeks. The US trade embargo, in place since the 1960s, remains intact. While the Obama and Biden administrations sought to ease tensions, Trump reinstated Cuba on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism.
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