Cuba condemns US pressure as Trump orders halt to Venezuelan oil, urges Havana to cut deal

Diplomatic tensions between the United States and Cuba intensified on Sunday after US President Donald Trump ordered a stop to all Venezuelan oil and financial flows to the communist-run island, warning Havana to reach an agreement with Washington “before it is too late.”

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump accused Cuba of surviving for years on oil and money from Venezuela in exchange for providing security services to what he described as the country’s “last two Venezuelan dictators.” He declared that arrangement over, insisting that no further oil or funds would be allowed to reach Cuba.

“There will be no more oil or money going to Cuba – zero!” Trump wrote, urging the island nation to urgently strike a deal with the United States.

The US president did not outline the terms of the proposed deal, but his comments reflect a hardening stance by Washington toward Havana. Earlier on Sunday, Trump also reposted a message suggesting that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio could one day become president of Cuba, adding approvingly: “Sounds good to me!”

The escalation follows major disruptions in Venezuela’s oil exports after the January 3 abduction of President Nicolas Maduro by US forces and the imposition of a strict US oil blockade on the OPEC member. Shipping data shows that no Venezuelan oil cargoes have been sent to Cuba since then.

Cuba has historically relied on Venezuela as its main oil supplier. Despite declining shipments in recent years due to Venezuela’s reduced refining capacity, the South American nation still supplied about 26,500 barrels per day last year – covering roughly half of Cuba’s oil deficit – according to shipping data and internal PDVSA documents. Mexico has also provided smaller quantities of crude and fuel.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel swiftly rejected Trump’s threats, saying the country would not submit to external pressure.

“Cuba is a free, independent and sovereign nation. Nobody dictates what we do,” Díaz-Canel wrote on X, accusing Washington of decades of hostility and aggression. He added that Cuba “does not threaten; it prepares, ready to defend the homeland to the last drop of blood.”

Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez adopted even stronger language, accusing the United States of acting as “an out-of-control criminal hegemon” that endangers global peace and security. He said Cuba has the sovereign right to import fuel from any willing supplier and denied claims that Havana received financial or material compensation for security services rendered abroad.

Under the long-standing US trade embargo, Cuba has increasingly depended on Venezuelan oil since 2000, following agreements initiated under the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez. Analysts warn that the latest US action could worsen Cuba’s already fragile economic situation.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico had not increased oil shipments to Cuba but acknowledged that her country had become an “important supplier” following recent political developments in Venezuela.

US analysts say the Trump administration’s posture signals renewed pressure for political realignment in Cuba. Republican strategist Eli Bremer said the White House wants Havana to distance itself from US adversaries such as China and Venezuela, even as Trump publicly insists he is not pursuing regime change.