US President Donald Trump has called on Cuba to "make a deal" with the United States, warning that it will face consequences otherwise, while declaring that the supply of oil and money from Venezuela will be stopped.
Trump has focused his attention on Cuba following the January 3 U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in the country's capital. Venezuela, a longtime ally of Cuba, is believed to send the island about 35,000 barrels of oil a day, but Trump has said that will end.
"Cuba has lived for many years on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela. In return, Cuba has provided 'security services' to the last two dictators of Venezuela, BUT NO MORE!" he wrote on the Truth Social network.
“THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO! I STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT THEY MAKE A DEAL, BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.”
Trump did not specify the terms of an agreement or the concrete consequences Cuba could face. He also mentioned the operation to capture Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who face drug trafficking and other criminal charges in a US court.
For years, Cuba has provided Maduro with personal security. The Cuban government said 32 Cuban citizens were killed in the US operation in Caracas. Trump responded by saying: “Most of those Cubans are DEAD from last week’s US attack and Venezuela no longer needs protection from the bandits and extortionists who held it hostage for so many years.”
"Venezuela now has the United States of America, the most powerful military in the world (by a long shot!), to protect it – and we will protect it," he added.
The Cuban government has yet to respond to Trump's latest threats, but earlier President Miguel Díaz-Canel said that the 32 "brave Cuban fighters" killed in Venezuela would be honored for "confronting terrorists in imperialist uniforms."
While the Trump administration has not announced any clear plans for Cuba, the US president has previously stated that a military intervention was not necessary, as the country was "ready to collapse."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week that Cuban leaders should be concerned, adding that "if I were in the government of Cuba, I would be very concerned - they are in serious trouble."
On Sunday, Trump also reposted a message on social media suggesting that Rubio - a Cuban-American and former senator from Florida - could become president of Cuba, accompanying it with the comment: "Sounds like a good idea to me!"
Meanwhile, the Trump administration's tactic of seizing Venezuelan oil tankers under sanctions has already begun to worsen Cuba's fuel and electricity crisis.
