The Cuban Government accused the United States on Monday of promoting actions aimed at destroying the Cuban Revolution and overthrowing the Venezuelan Government, by hindering Venezuela’s oil trade and persecuting ships that transport fuel to the island.
The Cuban Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodríguez, stated on social networks that Washington’s “marked objective” is to “destroy the Cuban Revolution” and “overthrow the legitimate Bolivarian and Chavista Government.”
The government’s measures #USA to hinder the free trade of Venezuelan oil resources and persecute ships that transport fuel to #Cuba They are not new nor are they directly related to the current military deployment in the Caribbean and the blockade… pic.twitter.com/P3BwfvKABR
— Bruno Rodríguez P (@BrunoRguezP) December 29, 2025
“They intensify their policy of maximum pressure and economic suffocation against Cuba, with a direct impact on the national energy system and, consequently, on the daily life of our people,” wrote the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Rodríguez also denounced the “measures of the US Government to hinder free trade in Venezuelan oil resources and persecute ships that transport fuel to Cuba,” actions that, he stressed, “are not new.”
The chancellor also highlighted the economic component of US military operations in the Caribbean and assured that Washington seeks to “usurp by force the critical and strategic natural resources of the region.”
It is the second time that the head of Cuban diplomacy maintains that the US blockade in the Caribbean has as its specific objective the oil that Venezuela sends to the island.
The first time that Rodríguez referred to this issue was after the US assault on the oil tanker Skipper, a ship that, according to The New York Timestransported Venezuelan crude oil consigned to Cuba, although destined for Asia to obtain foreign currency for Havana.
“With the military deployment against Venezuela, the US also sets its sights on Cuba,” analysts warn
Caracas and Havana have maintained a cooperation agreement since 2000, through which Venezuela pays with oil for Cuban professional services, mainly in the health and education sectors, as well as areas linked to security and defense.
Independent estimates indicate that Cuba needs between 110,000 and 120,000 barrels of oil per day. Of that figure, around 40 thousand barrels correspond to national production, while the rest must be imported.
Venezuela, which in the past supplied up to 100 thousand barrels a day, has sent an average of 27 thousand barrels in 2025, according to data from the specialized service of the Reuters agency.
To cover the deficit of up to 50 thousand barrels per day – which currently translates into blackouts of up to 20 hours, paralyzed industries and long lines at gas stations – Cuba has received additional, although insufficient, support. The island lacks foreign currency to acquire the necessary volume on the international market.
Russia has sent about 6,000 barrels a day this year, according to Cuban expert Jorge Piñón, from the Energy Institute at the University of Texas. MexicoFor its part, it significantly reduced its shipments: from about 23 thousand barrels per day in 2024 to just 2,500 in 2025, according to figures from the state oil company Pemex.
EFE/OnCuba
