Washington [US], January 12: US President Donald Trump urged Cuba on Sunday to make a deal "before it is too late," just over a week after the United States seized Venezuelan leader, a close ally of Havana.
Trump did not specify what kind of agreement he was referring to in the post on his Truth Social platform.
"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," he wrote, adding: "THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO!" The US president said Cuba had been providing security services to Venezuela in exchange for large amounts of oil and money.
Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno RodrÃguez rejected the claim, writing on X that Havana does not receive "financial or material compensation for security services it provides to another country and never has."
"The US is behaving like a criminal and uncontrolled hegemonic power that threatens peace and security not only in Cuba and this hemisphere, but throughout the world," he added.
Cuba receives oil from Venezuela in exchange for sending Cuban doctors to the country. Experts also estimate that numerous Cuban intelligence agents operate in Venezuela.
Cuban soldiers and intelligence agents were also responsible for protecting Venezuela's deposed president Nicolas Maduro. The government in Havana said 32 Cuban security personnel were killed during the US operation to arrest Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on January 3 in the Venezuelan capital Caracas.
Trump also reposted several posts on Truth Social on Sunday in which users anticipated a possible regime change in Cuba brought about by the United States. One post jokingly suggested US Secretary of State Marco Rubio - the son of Cuban immigrants - would become Cuba's president. "Sounds good to me!" Trump commented.
Cuba is facing its worst economic crisis since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution and is struggling with fuel shortages.
While Venezuelan oil deliveries have declined in recent years and are supplemented by supplies from Russia and Mexico, the Cuban economy could collapse completely if the US halted Venezuelan oil deliveries altogether.
In December, Trump ordered a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers heading to and from Venezuela, claiming that the South American country had stolen oil, land and other assets from the US which had to be returned. US forces have since taken control of several oil tankers. (dpa)
Source: Qatar Tribune
