WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump announced Monday that Mexico will cease oil shipments to Cuba, potentially exacerbating the island nation’s most severe economic crisis since the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991. The declaration came during an Oval Office press briefing where Trump characterized Cuba as “a failed nation.”
This development follows the earlier suspension of Venezuelan oil supplies after Nicolás Maduro’s ouster, which had previously sustained Cuba’s economy through subsidized energy imports. The termination of Mexican supplies would represent another critical blow to Cuba’s struggling infrastructure.
Trump’s administration has implemented punitive tariffs targeting nations that continue oil trade with Cuba, effectively forcing trading partners to choose between engagement with the global economic powerhouse or the impoverished Caribbean island of 11 million people.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had previously expressed reluctance to sever energy ties, warning of potential “far-reaching humanitarian consequences affecting hospitals, food distribution, and essential services for Cuban citizens.” However, with the United States serving as Mexico’s primary trading partner, potential tariff implications pose significant risks to Mexico’s already sluggish economic growth.
Despite Sheinbaum’s assertion of “everlasting solidarity” with Cuba, she acknowledged during recent statements that “We don’t want to put our country at risk in terms of tariffs.” Notably, she claimed that Thursday’s phone conversation with Trump did not include discussions regarding Cuban oil supplies.
Trump indicated ongoing communications with Cuban leadership, stating “I think we are pretty close, but we are dealing with the Cuban leaders right now,” though providing no specific details. This was partially corroborated by Cuban Vice Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, who acknowledged intergovernmental communications while clarifying that no formal dialogue table currently exists between the nations.