In a stark warning issued on Sunday, US President Donald Trump urged the Cuban government to "make a deal" or face serious repercussions. The President declared that the longstanding flow of Venezuelan oil and financial support to Havana would now cease entirely.
Trump's Social Media Ultimatum
Taking to his platform, Truth Social, President Trump delivered a detailed and forceful message. He asserted that Cuba had historically relied on "large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela." In exchange, he claimed, Cuba provided "Security Services" to support the regimes of the last two Venezuelan leaders.
However, Trump stated this arrangement is now over. He made a bold claim that "most of those Cubans are DEAD from last weeks U.S.A. attack." Furthermore, he argued that Venezuela no longer requires protection from what he termed "thugs and extortionists," as it now has the backing of the United States and its military might.
"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," Trump wrote. His ultimatum was clear: "THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO!" He strongly advised the Cuban leadership to negotiate a deal "BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE."
Hints and Reactions on Social Media
The President's posts on Truth Social contained several suggestive hints about his intentions for Cuba's future. In one interaction, when a user suggested making Senator Marco Rubio the president of Cuba, Trump replied, "sounds good to me."
He also reshared a poignant post from a user who expressed that, for the sake of their 78-year-old mother who fled Cuba in 1960, a change in the island nation would be "an indescribable dream." Another post he engaged with discussed Cuban cigars, adding a layer of cultural reference to the political discourse.
Earlier, Trump had downplayed the need for direct military action, suggesting Cuba was already "on the verge of collapse" due to the loss of Venezuelan income. "I don't think we need any action," he stated. "It looks like it's going down... Cuba now has no income. They got all their income from Venezuela, from the Venezuelan oil."
Official Stance from Secretary of State Rubio
Earlier on Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio adopted a firmer public stance. When questioned on NBC's 'Meet the Press' about whether Cuba was the administration's "next target," Rubio unequivocally called the Cuban government "a huge problem."
Upon being pressed further, he confirmed, "They are in a lot of trouble, yes." Rubio accused Havana of "propping up" the government of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and supporting its internal security mechanisms, including providing personal bodyguards.
The combined statements from the President and his Secretary of State signal a significant escalation in pressure on the Cuban regime, framing its economic and political support from Venezuela as permanently severed and urging immediate diplomatic concessions.
