The United States has no plans to stop Mexico from continuing oil shipments to Cuba, despite recent tough rhetoric from President Donald Trump, according to U.S. officials speaking to CBS News.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright confirmed that Washington will allow Mexican crude deliveries to the island to continue. This position contrasts with Trump’s statement over the weekend, when he said there would be “no more oil or money for Cuba.”
Administration officials clarified that the broader U.S. objective is not the immediate collapse of the Cuban government, but pressure for it to move away from its communist system.
A senior U.S. official, speaking anonymously, said a full cutoff of fuel supplies could severely damage Cuba’s already fragile electricity network.
The island frequently records power shortages exceeding 1,500 megawatts, largely due to fuel scarcity. On some days, outages rise even higher during peak demand, leaving large parts of the country without electricity.
U.S. officials also pointed to Cuba’s worsening economic situation. In recent years, Havana has reportedly sold Venezuelan oil to China to raise cash. Uncertainty grew earlier this month following U.S. military action against Venezuela on January 3 and the subsequent fall of President Nicolás Maduro, raising questions about whether fuel flows to Cuba would continue.
Against this backdrop, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum held talks with President Trump on Monday. She said the conversation focused on security cooperation, drug trafficking, trade, and investment, stressing respect for national sovereignty.
Cuba was not formally discussed, but Sheinbaum later said Mexico could act as a communication channel between Washington and Havana if both sides agreed.
Trump had earlier suggested that talks with Cuba were underway, but Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel denied this, saying contacts remain limited to routine discussions on migration. He reiterated that Cuba is open to dialogue with the United States only on the basis of equality, mutual respect, and non-interference.
Analysts believe Washington’s decision not to obstruct Mexican oil shipments could be used as leverage in future negotiations, potentially encouraging economic reforms or political opening in Cuba rather than triggering a sudden collapse.
Oil cooperation between Mexico and Cuba has expanded in recent years. In early January, the tanker Ocean Mariner delivered about 85,000 barrels of fuel from Veracruz to Havana, marking Pemex’s first shipment to the island this year. Mexican exports to Cuba averaged around 16,000 barrels per day in 2023 and rose to just over 20,000 barrels per day in 2024, according to official estimates.
Between January and September 2025, Mexico supplied nearly 19,200 barrels per day, mostly crude oil, through Pemex subsidiary Gasolinas Bienestar. Energy analyst Jorge Piñón of the University of Texas estimates that during the first 13 months of Sheinbaum’s presidency, average shipments were closer to 8,700 barrels per day.
Sheinbaum has repeatedly said that Mexico’s oil support for Cuba predates her administration and earlier governments across different political parties maintained similar arrangements. She has described the policy as a long-standing commitment rather than an ideological stance.
