TRUMP WARNS CUBA TO STRIKE A U.S. DEAL NOW OR FACE SEVERE CONSEQUENCES

President Donald Trump signaled on Sunday that Cuba should move quickly to negotiate an agreement with the United States, issuing a sharp warning that the country will no longer benefit from Venezuelan oil or financial support.

Cuba has long depended on Venezuela as its primary source of oil, but that relationship has shifted dramatically following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces. In the aftermath, Trump successfully pushed Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, to redirect the country’s oil shipments to the United States instead of Havana.

Trump made his position clear in a post on his Truth Social account, writing, “THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE,” emphasizing the urgency of the situation.

He also highlighted Cuba’s historical reliance on Caracas, stating, “Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela.”

While U.S. intelligence agencies reportedly view Cuba’s current economic and political outlook as dire, they have not fully endorsed Trump’s claim that the government is on the brink of collapse. According to Reuters, intelligence assessments reviewed by officials do not clearly support the president’s assertion that the island nation is “ready to fall”.

The CIA has assessed that several core areas of Cuba’s economy, including agriculture and tourism, are under severe pressure. Persistent power outages, long-standing trade sanctions, and structural problems have already weakened the system. The possible loss of Venezuelan oil—along with other forms of support from a longtime ally—could further complicate governance for the ruling administration that has remained in power since Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution.

The impact of losing Venezuelan oil would be especially severe. Data from shipping records and documents from Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, PDVSA, show that between January and November of last year, Venezuela supplied Cuba with an average of 27,000 barrels of oil per day. That amount accounted for roughly half of Cuba’s total oil shortfall, underscoring how critical the supply has been to the island’s survival.

Without that lifeline, Cuba now faces an increasingly uncertain future as pressure from Washington intensifies.

COMMENTARY:

The United States asserting control over Venezuelan oil represents a decisive move to protect American interests and restore stability to a region long plagued by corruption, mismanagement, and hostile foreign influence. Venezuela possesses one of the largest proven oil reserves in the world, yet under authoritarian rule those resources were weaponized against the West and squandered while the Venezuelan people suffered. By stepping in, the U.S. ensures that this strategic asset is no longer used to undermine global security.

For decades, hostile regimes benefited from Venezuela’s oil wealth while contributing nothing to peace or prosperity. Redirecting control away from anti-American leadership weakens the financial lifelines of adversaries who rely on energy revenues to fund aggression, propaganda, and repression. This shift strengthens U.S. leverage in the Western Hemisphere and sends a clear message that the era of unchecked anti-U.S. exploitation is over.

One of the most important outcomes of U.S. involvement is blocking Iran from accessing Venezuelan oil. Tehran has repeatedly used energy profits to finance proxy militias, terrorism, and weapons programs that destabilize the Middle East and threaten American allies. Cutting off this access directly limits Iran’s ability to project power and harm U.S. interests abroad.

Russia also stands to lose significantly. Moscow has long sought to expand its influence in Latin America as a way to challenge the United States closer to home. Venezuelan oil deals helped prop up the Russian economy and funded its military ambitions. U.S. control over these resources denies the Kremlin a critical revenue stream and reinforces American dominance in its own hemisphere.

China, meanwhile, has aggressively pursued energy partnerships around the world to lock countries into debt and dependency. Venezuela was a prime example of Beijing’s strategy, trading loans for oil while ignoring human rights abuses. By taking control of Venezuelan oil flows, the U.S. disrupts China’s ability to expand its economic and geopolitical reach at America’s expense.

Just as crucially, this move prevents terrorist organizations from indirectly benefiting from Venezuelan oil revenues. Energy profits in unstable or hostile hands often find their way into black markets, arms trafficking, and extremist networks. U.S. oversight reduces the risk that oil money will be used to fund violence against civilians or attacks on American interests.

From an economic standpoint, securing Venezuelan oil strengthens U.S. energy security and stabilizes global markets. Reliable access to energy resources helps lower volatility, protects American consumers, and supports domestic industries. It also reduces dependence on hostile or unreliable suppliers elsewhere in the world.

This strategy also reinforces the Monroe Doctrine in modern form, reaffirming that the Western Hemisphere should not be a playground for hostile powers. U.S. leadership in Venezuela restores balance, discourages foreign meddling, and promotes a regional order aligned with democratic values and economic cooperation.

Critics may argue that U.S. involvement is aggressive, but the alternative—allowing adversarial regimes to control vast energy resources—poses far greater risks. American leadership brings accountability, transparency, and a rules-based approach that benefits not only the U.S., but also regional stability and long-term prosperity.

Ultimately, taking control of Venezuelan oil is about national security, economic strength, and global leadership. By denying Iran, Russia, China, and terrorist networks access to this critical resource, the United States protects its people, its allies, and the broader international order. It is a firm but necessary step in ensuring that energy power does not fall into the hands of those who would use it to threaten freedom.

ARTICLE:

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