Trump tells Cuba to ‘Make a Deal, Before it is too Late’
United States President Donald Trump has warned Cuba to “make a deal” or face some severe consequences, warning that there would be no more flow of Venezuelan oil and money. Trump has been turning his attention to Cuba ever since the capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a Jan. 3rd raid in Carcas, Venenzuela’s captial.
Trump Turns His Attention to Cuba
The ultimatum from Trump comes in the wake of the Jan. 3 capture of Maduro and his wife. On in his Truth Social post, Trump said,
“Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela. In return, Cuba provided “Security Services” for the last two Venezuelan dictators, BUT NOT ANYMORE! Most of those Cubans are DEAD from last weeks U.S.A. attack, and Venezuela doesn’t need protection anymore from the thugs and extortionists who held them hostage for so many years.”
According to BBC, in response to Trump’s statements, Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Eduardo Rodríguez Parrilla said, “No one dictates what we do.” According to Al Jazeera President Miguel Díaz‑Canel said that U.S.-Cuba relations should be based on international law and not “hostility, threats, and economic coercion.”
United States Lets Mexico Provide Oil For Cuba
The United States will allow Mexico to provide oil for Cuba. Venezuela is no longer supplying the oil due to Maduro’s capture over a week ago. Following the social media post, Trump held a telephone conversation with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
While the White House and the Mexican government have confirmed the call took place, Trump and Sheinbaum did not publicly disclosed whether the specific issue of oil shipments to Cuba was on the agenda.
Simultaneously, U.S. forces have been active in the region. Since the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro just over a week ago, American assets have intercepted vessels attempting to transport Venezuelan oil to Cuba. This interdiction strategy has effectively severed the traditional supply line between Caracas and Havana, leaving the island nation in a precarious position.
Domestically, Cuba’s infrastructure has been crumbling for years. Havana has suffered from an overtaxed and decrepit electrical grid. It has suffered immensly from rolling blackouts. Even before the current geopolitical shock, the island was suffering from chronic rolling blackouts that paralyzed the economy and left families in the dark.
