Trump Cuba deal warning 2026: Ending the Venezuelan oil lifeline
President Trump warns Cuba to 'make a deal' as he cuts off Venezuelan oil and money following the seizure of Nicolás Maduro in January 2026.
The oil stops now. President Donald Trump has issued a blunt ultimatum to Cuba, urging the island nation to "make a deal" before its energy and financial lifelines from Venezuela vanish for good. Following the dramatic seizure of Nicolás Maduro by US forces, the regional power balance is shifting at lightning speed.
Cutting the Venezuelan Lifeline to Havana
On Sunday, January 11, 2026, Trump posted on Truth Social that there will be "no more oil or money going to Cuba—ZERO!" For decades, Cuba has relied on approximately 35,000 barrels of oil a day from Venezuela in exchange for security services. With Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, now facing drug trafficking charges in US custody, that arrangement has collapsed.
Rubio's Rising Influence and Cuba's Defiance
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a prominent critic of the Cuban government, has been central to this strategy. Trump even amplified suggestions that Rubio could oversee a new era for the island. Meanwhile, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the US raid, which resulted in the deaths of 32 Cuban nationals in Caracas, labeling the US forces "terrorists in imperial uniforms."
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