Trump Warns Cuba to Make a ‘Deal’ Before It’s Too Late After Maduro Ouster/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Donald Trump warned Cuba to make a deal with the United States after the ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro cut off vital oil supplies to Havana. Trump said the U.S. would no longer allow Venezuelan oil or money to flow to Cuba. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel responded by condemning U.S. policy and defending Cuba’s political system.
Trump Cuba Warning Quick Looks
- Trump issues stark warning to Cuba after Maduro’s removal
- Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba cut off by U.S. actions
- Trump urges Havana to “make a deal” before it’s too late
- Cuba condemns U.S. sanctions and military intervention
- Cuban military personnel killed during U.S. operation in Venezuela
- Trump claims U.S. will now “protect” Venezuela
- Economic pressure on Cuba intensifies amid severe shortages
- Trump hints Marco Rubio could one day lead Cuba
- Cuba blames U.S. sanctions for billions in economic losses
Trump Warns Cuba to Make a ‘Deal’ Before It’s Too Late After Maduro Ouster
Deep Look
President Donald Trump escalated pressure on Cuba on Sunday, warning the island’s communist government to strike a deal with the United States following the ouster of Venezuela’s longtime leader Nicolás Maduro. The warning comes as Cuba faces growing economic strain after losing access to Venezuelan oil, a critical lifeline for the island nation.
Posting on social media from his home in southern Florida, Trump said Cuba had survived for years by relying on oil and financial support from Venezuela in exchange for security assistance. That arrangement, he said, has now come to an abrupt end.
“THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO!” Trump wrote. “I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”
Trump did not specify what kind of deal he was proposing, but the message underscored his administration’s increasingly aggressive posture toward Havana in the aftermath of Maduro’s removal. U.S. forces have been seizing tankers carrying Venezuelan oil as Washington seeks to control the country’s production, refining, and global distribution of petroleum.
Cuba, one of the biggest beneficiaries of Venezuelan oil shipments, has been hit hard by the cutoff. The loss comes at a time when the island is already struggling through its worst economic crisis in decades, marked by blackouts, fuel shortages, and long lines for basic goods.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel responded sharply, accusing Trump of lacking moral authority. In a post on social media, Díaz-Canel said those who “turn everything into a business, even human lives,” have no right to lecture Cuba.
“Those who hysterically accuse our nation today do so out of rage at this people’s sovereign decision to choose their political model,” Díaz-Canel said, while denouncing what he described as draconian U.S. measures against the island.
Cuba also disclosed that 32 of its military personnel were killed during the U.S. operation that captured Maduro. According to Cuban officials, the personnel belonged to the country’s two main security agencies and were stationed in Caracas under a longstanding agreement between Cuba and Venezuela.
Trump dismissed Cuba’s role in Venezuela, saying the country no longer needs protection from what he called “thugs and extortionists.” He claimed the United States would now provide security for Venezuela.
“Venezuela now has the United States of America, the most powerful military in the world, to protect them, and protect them we will,” Trump said.
The president also reacted approvingly to a social media post suggesting that Secretary of State Marco Rubio could one day become president of Cuba.
“Sounds good to me!” Trump replied, a remark that further inflamed tensions with Havana.
Even before Maduro’s removal, Cuba was facing severe energy shortages and economic hardship. Officials in Havana say U.S. sanctions have cost the country more than $7.5 billion over a recent 12-month period, deepening shortages of fuel, food, and medicine.
Trump has previously predicted that Cuba’s economy would deteriorate further without Venezuelan support.
“It’s going down,” Trump said of the Cuban economy. “It’s going down for the count.”
As Washington tightens its grip on Venezuela’s oil sector and sharpens its rhetoric toward Havana, Cuba faces mounting pressure to navigate an increasingly hostile regional environment — one that could define the island’s political and economic future.
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