WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump escalated tensions with Cuba through a series of social media declarations on Sunday, warning the communist nation of severe economic consequences following the deposition of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The U.S. President asserted that Cuba’s longstanding reliance on Venezuelan oil subsidies has reached its definitive endpoint.
From his Florida residence, Trump proclaimed that Cuba would no longer receive petroleum resources or financial support from Venezuela, emphasizing his message with the declaration: “THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO!” The President urged Cuban leadership to “make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE,” though he provided no specific details regarding potential negotiation terms.
The geopolitical confrontation intensified when Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel responded via social media platform X, challenging U.S. moral authority in international affairs. Díaz-Canel asserted that “those who turn everything into a business, even human lives, have no moral authority to point the finger at Cuba.”
This diplomatic exchange occurs against the backdrop of significant regional upheaval. Cuban authorities reported that 32 military personnel from their nation’s security agencies were killed during the American operation that captured Maduro. These personnel were stationed in Caracas under a bilateral security agreement between Cuba and Venezuela.
Trump reinforced his position by stating that Venezuela no longer requires protection from “thugs and extortionists,” instead promising that “the most powerful military in the World” would now provide protection to the Venezuelan people.
The U.S. administration has intensified its pressure campaign against Cuba, which faces its most severe economic crisis in decades. The island nation has suffered from extensive blackouts and critical shortages of essential goods. Cuban officials attribute these challenges primarily to U.S. sanctions, which they claim have cost the economy over $7.5 billion between March 2024 and February 2025.
Díaz-Canel defended Cuba’s political sovereignty and criticized U.S. economic measures, stating that those blaming the Cuban Revolution for economic hardships “should be ashamed” while condemning American-imposed “draconian measures.”
Trump previously predicted Cuba’s economic deterioration would accelerate following Maduro’s removal from power, bluntly stating: “It’s going down for the count.”