Cuba is a major beneficiary of Venezuelan oil but is now cut off from that shipment as U.S. forces continue to seize tankers to control production, refining and transportation. Global distribution of the country’s petroleum products.
Trump said on social media that Cuba has long relied on Venezuelan oil and money and provided security in return, “but not anymore!”
“No more oil or money will flow to Cuba – ZERO!” Trump said in the post while spending the weekend at his home in South Florida. “I strongly advise them to make a deal before it’s too late.” He did not explain what kind of deal it would be.
The Cuban government stated 32 military personnel Maduro was killed during a U.S. operation to capture him over the weekend. As part of an agreement between Cuba and Venezuela, personnel from Cuba’s two main security agencies are stationed in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.
“Venezuela no longer needs protection from the thugs and extortionists who have held them hostage for years,” Trump said on Sunday. “Venezuela now has the most powerful military in the world (by far!) to protect them and we will protect them.”
Trump also responded to a social media post from another account predicting that his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, would become president of Cuba: “Sounds good to me!” Trump said.
Trump and senior administration officials have taken an increasingly aggressive approach toward Cuba, whose economy has been sustained by Venezuela. Even before Maduro’s arrest, life in Cuba was experiencing a severe blackout, with long lines forming at gas stations and supermarkets across the island. worst economic crisis for decades.
Trump has previously said that Cuba’s economy, which has been hit by years of U.S. embargo, will decline further with Maduro’s ouster.
“It’s going down,” Trump said of Cuba. “The counts are going down.”