Washington, D.C. – January eleven, 2026 — President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Cuba on Sunday, urging the island country to barter with america earlier than dealing with extreme economic isolation, following the ouster of its key ally, former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Trump declared that Cuba would obtain “zero oil or cash” from Venezuela, emphasizing that U.S. Moves have ended Havana’s longstanding support from Caracas.
In a submit on Truth Social, Trump said: “Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela, in change for supplying safety for the Dictators who destroyed that when rich u . S .. That function is now OVER! NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA—ZERO! Make a deal BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.” He added that Venezuela no longer desires protection from “thugs and extortionists,” and that the US could step in to protect the South American kingdom.
The warning comes amid escalating U.S. Involvement in Venezuela, wherein American forces have supported efforts to take away Maduro’s regime. Trump claimed that maximum Cuban forces deployed in Venezuela—predicted by way of a few reports to range in the thousands—had been killed throughout recent operations. “Venezuela doesn’t want protection anymore from the thugs and extortionists who held them hostage for so many years. Venezuela now has america of America,” Trump wrote.
Cuba has lengthy trusted Venezuelan oil subsidies and economic resource, which accounted for a massive part of its strength imports—round 30% in keeping with some estimates. With Maduro’s fall, analysts warn that Havana ought to face acute shortages, exacerbating its ongoing monetary crisis marked via blackouts, inflation, and meals shortage. Cuban officials have now not right now answered to Trump’s statements, However country media has formerly accused the U.S. Of interference in regional affairs.
The U.S. Has imposed strict sanctions on Cuba for many years, intensified beneath Trump’s first time period through measures like restricting remittances and tour. This cutting-edge rhetoric alerts a potential hardening of policy, with Trump musing about figures like Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a Cuban-American, gambling a role in future Cuban governance. “Maybe Marco Rubio runs Cuba,” Trump recommended in a separate comment, highlighting the personal and political dimensions of the problem.
International observers, which include the European Union, have called for dialogue to avoid further instability within the area. The situation underscores the interconnected fates of Cuba and Venezuela, in which Cuban safety personnel have furnished support to Maduro’s government in exchange for sponsored oil since the early 2000s under Hugo Chávez.
This development follows Trump’s latest threats in opposition to different countries, which includes warnings to Panama over the Panama Canal and to Greenland concerning U.S. Hobbies. White House officials have not elaborated on what precise “deal” Trump envisions with Cuba, however it can contain political reforms, human rights enhancements, or monetary concessions in exchange for eased sanctions.
