U.S. President Donald Trump posted the following on Truth Social on Sunday morning, Jan. 11:
“Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela. In return, Cuba provided ‘Security Services’ for the last two Venezuelan dictators, BUT NOT ANYMORE! Most of those Cubans are DEAD from last week’s U.S.A. attack, and Venezuela doesn’t need protection anymore from the thugs and extortionists who held them hostage for so many years. Venezuela now has the United States of America, the most powerful military in the World (by far!), to protect them, and protect them we will. THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA—ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT.”
Commenting on a user’s post under this item, saying that U.S. Secretary of State “Marco Rubio will be president of Cuba,” Trump wrote: “Sounds good to me.”
Cuba’s oil situation is, indeed, dire. Needed domestic consumption is about 150k bpd, with Cuba itself producing only 50k of that. The needed 100k bpd imports have plummeted in recent years. Venezuela has historically been the main foreign provider to Cuba, but according to Kpler its shipments of about 35k bpd in 2020 plunged to 10k in 2024 and 2025 as a result of sanctions, and now to zero in 2026. Mexico, Cuba’s second largest supplier, exported 12k bpd in 2025, which constituted 44% of the 27k bpd of total Cuban imports of oil. Russia has historically also provided some oil to Cuba, in the range of 5-10k bpd.
Trump’s latest threats to Cuba, coupled with warnings to Mexico that they are next to get the Venezuela treatment, especially if they come to Cuba’s aid, means that Cuba is about to get the Gaza treatment.
