MEXICO CITY — As the United States prepares to seize control of Venezuelan oil and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump hardens its stance toward Cuba, Mexico has emerged as a key fuel supplier to Havana.
It’s a role that could further complicate already strained relations with the Trump administration, even though the Mexican government insists that exports to the island have not increased.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledged on Wednesday that “with the current situation in Venezuela, Mexico has become an important supplier” of crude oil to Cuba, but asserted that “no more oil is being sent than has been sent historically; there is no specific shipment.”
She added that those shipments are made via “contracts” or as “humanitarian aid,” but offered no concrete figures on the number of barrels exported.
Following the 1959 revolution that toppled dictator Fulgencio Batista, the U.S. imposed a trade embargo on Cuba in response to the nationalization of American-owned property. Under the embargo — long denounced by many countries, including Mexico — Cubans have suffered economic and energy crises, driving hundreds of thousands of Cubans to migrate, especially to the United States.
Blackouts that last up to eight hours and long lines at gas stations are routine across Cuba.
José Martínez, a 65-year-old former construction worker and resident of Old Havana whose power goes out daily, said the upheaval in Venezuela will impact Cuba.
“The blackouts are going to intensify with all this,” he said, adding that he believes the U.S. attacked because they want Venezuela’s oil. “They own the world.”
Meanwhile, street vendor Yeison Gálvez, 37, worries about the impact on transportation: “For as long as I can remember, we’ve depended on Venezuela for fuel. We’re going to be walking even more.”
It’s unclear if any country would increase oil shipments to Cuba after the U.S. attack on Venezuela.
The Mexican government has avoided commenting on its future plans. Exports to Cuba represent a very small percentage of total exports — 3.3% — but their economic profitability is questionable, and Pemex’s production continues to decline.
From January to Sept. 30, 2025, Mexico shipped 19,200 barrels per day to Cub