Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez has said that the US’s criminal behaviour in the Western Hemisphere will not force Cuba to give in to US President Donald Trump’s demands despite repeated threats. His remarks came late on Sunday after he rejected claims by the Trump administration that Venezuela had been paying Cuba for security services.
In a post on X, Rodríguez defended Cuba’s decision to purchase oil from Caracas, saying, “Cuba has the right to purchase oil from whatever source it might choose.”
On Saturday, President Trump threatened to cut off Cuba from all money and oil over its continued purchase of oil from Venezuela. The United States, on January 3, raided and captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, bringing him to the US to face charges of drug trafficking, evidence for which has not yet been made public.
With Trump announcing he will “run” Venezuela—and most importantly, its oil production—as well as threatening, among others, Mexico, Colombia, and Colombian President Gustavo Petro, the eyes of many in the administration have now turned to Cuba, long a thorn in the side of US policymakers.
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Trump posted on Truth Social: “THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA — ZERO!” adding, “I strongly suggest they make a deal BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”
In a separate post on Sunday, Trump said, “Venezuela doesn’t need protection anymore from the thugs and extortionists who held them hostage for so many years. Venezuela now has the United States of America, the most powerful military in the world (by far!), to protect them, and protect them we will.”
Cuban Foreign Minister Rodríguez responded to the allegations with his own post on X, which read: Havana has “never received monetary or material compensation for the security services it has provided to any country.”
He also accused the US of killing 32 Cuban soldiers during the raid on Venezuela.
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