U.S. President Warns Cuba: No More Venezuelan Oil or Support Unless Talks Begin

In Shorts

• Trump warns Cuba that Venezuelan oil and funds will stop unless it strikes a deal with the US.
• The warning follows a US operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
• Trump suggests negotiations with Cuba must happen quickly or face serious consequences.

US President Donald Trump has issued a forceful message to Cuba, urging its leadership to enter negotiations with Washington before it is “too late.” The statement, posted on his social media platform, came against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the region following a recent US military action in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro.

Trump’s message made clear that Cuba’s long-standing economic ties with Venezuela are being cut off. “There will be no more oil or money going to Cuba — zero,” he wrote, highlighting Havana’s dependence on Venezuelan energy and financial support. He linked this shift directly to the changing political landscape in Caracas and suggested that without a deal with the United States, Cuba could face serious consequences.

For decades, Cuba has relied on discounted Venezuelan oil to power its economy, a lifeline that grew especially critical under the US trade embargo. Trump’s warning frames this assistance as over, signalling a sharp escalation in pressure on Havana to change course. The president reiterated that Cuba had provided “security services” to Venezuela’s leadership in exchange for that support, but he asserted that this relationship has now ended. The ultimatum also included a provocative social media exchange in which Trump reposted a message suggesting that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio could lead Cuba, adding his own comment that the idea “sounds good to me.” This unusual remark underscores the heightened rhetoric from Washington toward the communist-run island. Cuba’s government has yet to publicly outline how it plans to respond to this latest pressure, but the move marks a significant moment in US-Cuba relations, with potential repercussions for regional stability and Havana’s already strained economy.