Former US President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Cuba, urging its communist government to strike a deal with the United States "before it is too late." His demand comes with a critical threat: the island nation's vital supply of oil and financial support from Venezuela has been severed.
The End of a Vital Lifeline
For decades, Venezuela has been Cuba's biggest oil supplier, providing an estimated 35,000 barrels of oil per day under an agreement dating back to the era of Hugo Chávez. This arrangement was a cornerstone of the close political and economic alliance between the two socialist states. However, Trump claims this lifeline is now definitively cut.
The shift follows the dramatic capture of Venezuela's authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro, by US forces in an operation in Caracas last week. Trump stated he has since successfully pressured Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, to redirect that oil to the United States instead.
'Zero' Support and a Call for Regime Change
In a post on his Truth Social network, Trump was unequivocal: "THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO!" He framed the previous arrangement as Cuba providing "Security Services" for Venezuelan "dictators," a role he claimed is now obsolete.
"Most of those Cubans are DEAD from last weeks U.S.A. attack, and Venezuela doesn't need protection anymore," Trump wrote, referring to the reported deaths of 32 Cuban security personnel during the raid to extract Maduro. He added that Venezuela now has American military protection.
This rhetoric builds on comments Trump made last week, where he floated the prospect of an American-backed regime change in what he called a "very badly failing nation." He suggested Cuba's system was failing and that the US wanted to "help the people," who have "suffered for many, many years."
Rubio Tipped and Cuban Fury
In a related social media post, Trump endorsed the idea of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio—born to Cuban parents who fled the revolution—becoming the "president of Cuba," commenting "Sounds good to me!" Rubio himself has amplified the criticism, calling Cuba's leadership "incompetent, senile men" and suggesting those in Havana's government "should be concerned."
The Cuban government has reacted with fury to the Caracas operation. President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned Maduro's capture as "an unacceptable, vulgar and barbarian kidnapping." He confirmed Cuban forces had been protecting Maduro and his wife at Venezuela's request.
A Deepening Crisis for Havana
The loss of Venezuelan subsidies plunges Cuba into a deeper economic crisis. The nation has long relied on this support, especially under the stringent US trade embargo, which Trump reinstated and tightened after President Joe Biden had briefly relaxed some designations. The US-Cuba relationship remains profoundly strained.
Trump's latest intervention signals a hardening of Washington's approach, combining economic pressure with explicit political threats. The message to Havana's communist leaders is clear: their primary external patron is gone, and the United States is actively seeking their downfall.
