Feb 2 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Mexico would stop sending oil to Cuba as he ramped up a pressure campaign on the Caribbean nation.
“Mexico is gonna cease sending them oil,” Trump told reporters in the White House Oval Office. He did not elaborate on why he believed this to be the case.
Mexican authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mexico is the single-largest supplier of oil to Cuba, which regularly suffers from energy shortages and mass blackouts. Cuba relies heavily on fuel imports of refined products to meet its demand for electricity generation, gasoline, and aviation fuel. U.S. sanctions and a deep economic crisis have prevented the Communist government from purchasing enough fuel for years, forcing it to depend on a small group of allies.
Reuters has reported that the Mexican government is reviewing whether to keep sending oil to Cuba, as it worries that Mexico could face reprisals from the United States over its policy to do so.
President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration said on Sunday it would seek to ship oil to Cuba for humanitarian reasons, “without seeking confrontation.” But they also said aid would consist of “other” products for the coming week.
Tensions flared last month between Havana and Washington following the U.S. capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, long a close ally of Cuba. Trump has labeled Cuba “an unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security and threatened tariffs on the U.S.-bound exports of any nation that sends oil to the communist-run island.
Cuba and the United States are in communication, a Cuban diplomat told Reuters on Monday, although he said the exchanges have not yet evolved into a formal “dialogue.” Trump has also said the two sides are talking.
Mexico and many regional analysts think Cuba could face a humanitarian crisis if the country loses access to energy. Other countries might not make up for a shortfall from Mexico, given Washington’s threats.
Trump has privately questioned Sheinbaum about crude and fuel shipments to Cuba, Reuters has previously reported. Sheinbaum responded that the shipments are “humanitarian aid,” according to sources familiar with a call between the leaders. They added that Trump did not directly urge Mexico to halt the oil deliveries.
(Reporting by Steve Holland, Daina Beth Solomon and Trevor Hunnicutt; additional reporting by Christian Martinez; editing by David Ljunggren and Lincoln Feast.)
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