President Miguel Díaz-Canel denounces the threat from U.S. President Donald Trump that all Venezuelan oil and financial flows to Cuba will come to a halt as “criminal aggression,” promising to defend national sovereignty “to the very last drop of blood.” This triggered Trump’s ultimatum on Truth Social, “NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO!” after the capture of Nicolás Maduro by the U.S. Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodríguez accused Washington of gangster tactics and global destabilization. Havana maintains that it has the sovereign right to source fuel at will, thereby rejecting any past connection with security aid for Venezuela.
Defiant Official Rhetoric
In a post on X, Díaz-Canel stated: “Cuba is free, independent, no one dictates our actions,” presenting the 66-year blockade by the US as the actual threat. Rodríguez referred to the interception of tankers as “piracy,” claiming it violated UNCLOS, and calling Latin America to unite against “immoral extortion” when in fact the $2B US-Venezuela oil deal with Delcy Rodríguez is already stalled. State media is constantly presenting stories of resilience, blaming “Yankee imperialism” for the blackouts, even though there have been no shipments since early January.
Crisis Deepens in Havana
Venezuela was the source of 90% of Cuba’s daily 50,000 barrels; the cutoff was a major factor in the collapse of the $100B economy, with factories closing and rationing at its limits. Mexico gives few options, but Russians/Chinese cannot afford the price increase; people have to cope with power supply interruptions that last for 12 hours. Díaz-Canel outright dismisses Trump’s vague “deal”, regarding it as a regime change trick that resonates with the Helms-Burton era.
Strategic Cuban Calculus
Havana looks for secret-market diversifications while stirring the people’s spirit: “Revolution resists or dies.” The US could face consequences throughout the region if it escalates; no surrender signs are in sight as Trump keeps up the pressure on interim Caracas.
Cuba is not yielding, presenting resistance as a moral triumph over the empire.
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