TRUMP TUNG ĐÒN MỚI "KHÔNG CHO DẦU VÀ ĐÔ LA CHẢY VÀO CUBA"- ÉP CUBA PHẢI THAY ĐỔI - CHỜ XEM VIỆT NEM SẼ THỨC CANH CHO CUBA NGỦ ĐƯỢC KHÔNG?- NẾU MỸ DÙNG ĐÒN BẨY NẦY LÀ VIỆT NEM XONG NGAY TRONG VÀI TUẦN./-Mt68
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Donald Trump tells Cuba to 'make a deal' as US cuts off Venezuelan oil
Donald Trump is escalating his war of words with Cuba, a week after a US military operation in Venezuela. (Reuters: Kevin Lamarque)
In short:
US President Donald Trump has warned Cuba that it should strike a deal with the US "before it is too late", vowing to prevent oil and money from entering the country.
The island nation, which has long been a nemesis of the US, is reliant on Venezuela for oil imports.
The US president's threat is the latest example of his administration seeking to push countries in the Americas toward aligning with Washington.
US President Donald Trump says no more Venezuelan oil or money will enter Cuba unless the communist-run island strikes a deal with Washington, ramping up pressure on the long-time Washington nemesis and provoking defiant words from the island's leadership.
Venezuela is Cuba's biggest oil supplier, but no cargoes have departed from Venezuelan ports to the Caribbean country since the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by United States forces this month.
The US is enforcing a strict oil blockade on Venezuela, an OPEC country, shipping data shows.
Meanwhile, Caracas and Washington are progressing on a $US2 billion ($3 billion) deal to supply up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil to the US, with proceeds to be deposited in US Treasury-supervised accounts, a major test of the emerging relationship between Mr Trump and interim president Delcy Rodríguez.
Donald Trump is warning Cuba to "make a deal" before it is too late. (Truth Social/@realdonaldtrump)
"THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA — ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE," Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, local time.
"Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela."
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel rejected Mr Trump's threat on social media, suggesting the US had no moral authority to force a deal on Cuba.
"Cuba is a free, independent, and sovereign nation. Nobody dictates what we do," Mr Díaz-Canel said on X.
"Cuba does not attack; it has been attacked by the US for 66 years, and it does not threaten; it prepares, ready to defend the homeland to the last drop of blood."
The US president did not elaborate on his suggested deal.
But Mr Trump's push on Cuba represents the latest escalation in his move to bring regional powers in line with the US and underscores the seriousness of the administration's ambition to dominate the Western Hemisphere.
Cuba is highly reliant on Venezuelan oil. (Reuters: Norlys Perez)
Mr Trump's top officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have made no secret of their expectation that the recent US intervention in Venezuela could push Cuba over the edge.
American officials have hardened their rhetoric against Cuba in recent weeks, though the two countries have been at odds since former leader Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution.
Cuba defends import rights
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said in another post on X on Sunday that Cuba had the right to import fuel from any suppliers willing to export it.
He also denied that Cuba had received financial or other "material" compensation in return for security services provided to any country.
Thirty-two members of Cuba's armed forces and intelligence services were killed during the US raid on Venezuela.
Cuba said those killed were responsible for "security and defence" but did not provide details on the arrangement between the two long-time allies.
Cuba relies on imported crude and fuel, mainly provided by Venezuela, and Mexico in smaller volumes, which are purchased on the open market to keep its power generators and vehicles running.
As its operational refining capacity dwindled in recent years, Venezuela's supply of crude and fuel to Cuba has fallen.
However, the South American country remains the largest provider, with approximately 26,500 barrels a day exported last year, according to ship tracking data and internal documents of state-run PDVSA, which covered roughly 50 per cent of Cuba's oil deficit.
Even before Mr Maduro's capture, Cuba had been struggling to keep the lights on.
Vast swaths of the island live without electricity for much of the day, and even the capital, Havana, has seen its economy crippled by hours-long rolling blackouts.
Shortages of food, fuel and medicine have put Cubans on edge and have prompted a record-breaking exodus, primarily to the US, in the past five years.
Mexico emerges as key oil supplier
Mexico has emerged in recent weeks as a critical alternative oil supplier to the island, but the supply remains small, according to the shipping data.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum last week said her country had not increased supply volumes, but given recent political events in Venezuela, Mexico had turned into an "important supplier" of crude to Cuba.
US intelligence has painted a grim picture of Cuba's economic and political situation, but its assessments offer no clear support for Mr Trump's prediction that the island is "ready to fall", Reuters reported on Saturday, citing three people familiar with the confidential assessments.
The CIA's view is that key sectors of the Cuban economy, such as agriculture and tourism, are severely strained by frequent blackouts, trade sanctions and other problems.
The potential loss of oil imports and other support from Venezuela could make governing more difficult for Mr Díaz-Canel.
Reuters
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