Donald Trump said on Sunday that no Venezuelan oil or financial support would be allowed to reach Cuba, sharply escalating pressure on the communist-run island and urging its leaders to strike a deal with Washington. The move follows a strict US oil blockade on Venezuela after the capture of President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.
Venezuela has been Cuba's largest energy supplier, providing about 26,500 barrels per day of crude and fuel last year, roughly half of the island's oil shortfall. Shipping data shows that no Venezuelan cargoes have departed for Cuba since the US intervention, deepening fears of worsening power cuts and fuel shortages.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel rejected Trump's warning, insisting Cuba would not be coerced. "Cuba is a free, independent and sovereign nation," he said, adding the country was prepared to "defend the homeland to the last drop of blood." Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said Havana had the right to import fuel from any willing supplier.
As Venezuela's supplies dry up, Mexico has emerged as a limited alternative source of oil, though volumes remain small. The threat of losing Venezuelan support comes as Cuba faces severe blackouts, shortages of food and medicine, and a deepening economic crisis that has driven record migration from the island.