In a bold geopolitical move, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has declared her nation will dispatch critical humanitarian assistance to Cuba this week. This decision comes amid escalating pressure from the United States, which has publicly demanded the cessation of Mexican oil shipments to the communist-led island.
President Sheinbaum unveiled the aid initiative during a public address on Sunday, explicitly refuting assertions that the matter was a topic of discussion in her recent 40-minute telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump. This statement directly counters Trump’s Friday declaration, wherein he claimed to have instructed Mexico to halt its oil exports to Cuba and threatened punitive tariffs against any nation persisting in fuel deliveries.
The Cuban populace is currently grappling with a devastating economic and energy catastrophe. Severe fuel scarcities have precipitated daily nationwide blackouts exceeding 12 hours, critically hampering medical facilities, disrupting food supply chains, and crippling essential public services.
This crisis intensified significantly following a pivotal event in January: a U.S. military intervention that ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Subsequently, Venezuela, a historical ally and key benefactor, suspended its oil exports to Cuba. This vacuum propelled Mexico’s state-owned petroleum company, Pemex, to become Cuba’s primary oil provider, though recent data indicates a notable decline in shipment volumes, attributed to sustained diplomatic pressure from Washington.
President Sheinbaum issued a stark warning, asserting that severing this vital supply line would risk precipitating a ‘large-scale humanitarian crisis’ for the Cuban people. This stance unfolds against the enduring backdrop of the comprehensive U.S. trade embargo, which has been enforced against Cuba since 1962.