Eric Lee / EPA
US President Donald Trump
Venezuela “no longer needs protection against the bandits and extortionists” who held it hostage for so many years, and there will be no more Venezuelan oil or money reaching Cuba, says Trump — who “thinks it’s good” that Secretary of State Marco Rubio could be the country’s new president.
The American president Donald Trump told Cuba to “make a deal” or face consequences unspecified, adding that there will be no more oil or Venezuelan money reaching the Caribbean island run by a communist regime that has been an enemy of the United States for decades.
At a time when Cuba, a close ally of Venezuela and the main beneficiary of its oil, is preparing to possible disorders widespread after Nicholas Maduro Having been deposed, the American president intensified his threatening language.
“Cuba lived, for many yearsof large amounts of oil and money from Venezuela. In return, Cuba provided ‘security services’ to the last two Venezuelan dictators, BUT THIS IS OVER!“, Trump this Sunday on his Social Truth page.
“Most of these Cubans died in the attack North American last week, and Venezuela no longer needs protection against the bandits and extortionists who held her hostage for so many years. Venezuela now has the US, the most powerful armed forces in the world (by far!), to protect it, and we will protect it,” Trump added.
“THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO! I strongly suggest that you make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE”, concluded the US president, who did not provide details about what form this agreement could take.
A Venezuela is Cuba’s largest oil supplierbut, according to , navigation data shows that since the capture of Nicolás Maduro by US forces last week, no load came out from Venezuelan ports bound for the Caribbean country
Dozens of elements of the Venezuelan and Cuban security forces were, after which Trump stated that Cuba was “ready to fall”referring to the island’s deep economic crisis and that it would be difficult for Havana “resist” without cheap Venezuelan oil.
Also this Sunday, the North American president sent a message that suggested that the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubiowho was born in Miami but whose parents were Cuban immigrants, could become the country’s new president, adding: “For me, it looks good!”
Trump’s comment was in response to a tongue-in-cheek post from a user on X late last week that said “Marco Rubio will be president of Cuba” — understood as a reference to the many positions Rubio has held as Secretary of State, says .
The president of Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canelpromised to defend the country against any attack. “Cuba is a free, independent and sovereign nation. Nobody tells us what to do,” wrote Díaz-Canel in X, adding that the Caribbean island was “ready to defend the homeland until the last drop of blood“.
