President Donald Trump on Sunday called on Cuba to “make a deal” with the United States, warning that the Caribbean nation will receive no oil from Venezuela following the recent capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump said Cuba had long relied on Venezuelan oil and financial support, but that “NO MORE” would flow after U.S. forces detained Maduro in Caracas last weekend. He added that Venezuela no longer needed Cuban security assistance, claiming the country is now protected by “the most powerful military in the World.”
The comments come as Cuba faces a severe energy crisis, with widespread blackouts lasting up to 20 hours a day in some regions. The country imported most of its oil from Venezuela in 2025, according to industry data, though it has also sourced fuel from Mexico and Russia in previous years.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel responded on X, blaming U.S. sanctions for the nation’s economic struggles. He accused Washington of imposing “draconian measures of extreme suffocation” for decades and vowed that “no one dictates to us what to do.”
Maduro, who was captured in an overnight raid on a Venezuelan military compound, is now facing narco-terrorism charges in New York. The Trump administration has continued seizing oil tankers linked to Venezuela, including one reportedly bound for Cuba in December.
Trump has suggested Cuba’s government “looks like it is ready to fall,” but U.S. intelligence reports do not predict an imminent collapse. Despite growing pressure, Díaz-Canel has rejected any notion of negotiating under U.S. terms.
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