Donald Trump Warns Cuba Of Oil Ban, Havana Hits Back At US Actions

Washington: Tension between America and Cuba has once again intensified. On Sunday, US President Donald Trump warned Cuba in clear words that either it should compromise with Washington or be prepared to face complete economic isolation.

Why did this warning come suddenly?

This statement comes at a time when the US launched a military operation in Venezuela earlier this month and captured President Nicolas Maduro. After this action, Cuba's biggest source of economic aid has almost been closed, because Cuba has long been dependent on Venezuela for oil and economic aid.

What did Trump say?

Trump wrote on his social media platform 'Truth Social' that now Cuba will get neither oil nor money. He also said that it would be better for Cuba to reach an agreement before it was too late. However, he did not say on what terms this agreement would be made.

The US has already begun seizing oil tankers belonging to Venezuela, increasing its control over global supplies. This is having a direct impact on Cuba, where power cuts have already become common and the situation is expected to worsen further.

Re-sharing a post, Trump also said that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio can become the President of Cuba. On this he jokingly wrote, “I like it.”

How did the Cuban government respond?

The Cuban government has reacted sharply to this statement. President Miguel Diaz-Canel said that Cuba is an independent and sovereign country and no other country can dictate to it. He also added that Cuba does not want conflict but is fully prepared to defend its country if necessary.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez made serious allegations against America and said that its attitude is a threat to world peace. He also rejected Trump's claim that Cuba took money from Venezuela in exchange for security services. He says that Cuba has every right to buy oil from any country.

What is Venezuela's relationship with Cuba?

Actually, the relations between Cuba and Venezuela are at the root of this entire dispute. For the past several years, Cuba has been dependent on Venezuela for about half of its oil needs. But since Maduro's arrest, no oil has been sent from there to Cuba.

The Cuban government has also confirmed that 32 of its soldiers, who were on security duty there, were killed during the US attack in Venezuela. Meanwhile, America is moving towards taking control of Venezuela's resources. It is reported that an oil agreement worth about two billion dollars is being signed between the US and the interim government of Venezuela, which includes the supply of 50 million barrels of oil.

What effect did it have on the common people?

All this is directly affecting ordinary Cuban citizens. The country is already struggling with shortages of electricity, food items and medicines. According to media reports, about 14 lakh people have left the country between 2020 and 2024. Amanda Gomez, a 16-year-old student, said she also thought about leaving the country. According to him, now everyone, big or small, is talking about going out.

What could happen next?

Experts believe that if the supply of oil stops completely, the situation may worsen. Some experts say that America's strategy is to put so much pressure on Cuba that internal dissatisfaction increases there.

Although some leaders in America are calling this the beginning of the end of the current Cuban government, many experts do not agree. He says that Cuba has been facing sanctions for decades and is not going to break so easily. At present Cuba is going through a period of uncertainty, where it is difficult to say what will happen next.