Trump Orders Blockade of Venezuelan Oil and Funds to Cuba, Threatens Regime Change

On January 3, a U.S. operation in Caracas that critics described as seizing Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro triggered a sharp escalation in rhetoric from former U.S. president Donald Trump.

“Venezuela is Cuba’s biggest oil supplier, but no shipments have departed Venezuelan ports since Maduro’s abduction”

Al Jazeera

Trump used Truth Social to warn Cuba to 'make a deal' or face the end of Venezuelan oil and funds, declaring 'THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO!'; he also reposted a message suggesting U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio could become Cuba’s president and claimed many Cuban security personnel had been killed in the operation.

Al Jazeera

Reporting across outlets ties Trump’s posts directly to the prior U.S. action in Venezuela and notes he did not specify what measures he would take if Havana did not comply.

Evidence and shipping data cited by multiple outlets indicate Venezuelan oil flows to Cuba have effectively stopped since the Caracas operation.

The halt amplifies Havana's immediate economic vulnerability.

BBC

Shipping data and PDVSA documents show no tankers have departed Venezuela for Havana since the Jan. 3 action.

Last year Venezuela still sent roughly 26,500 barrels per day - about half of Cuba's fuel shortfall - while Mexico supplied smaller volumes but had not increased deliveries.

Several reports note that U.S. actions, including seizures of sanctioned tankers, and a newly tightened blockade are directly linked to the halt in shipments.

Havana's official response was defiant: President Miguel Díaz-Canel and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez rejected U.S. threats and insisted Cuba is "a free, independent and sovereign nation."

“President Trump warned Cuba on Sunday that the flow of Venezuelan oil and cash to Havana would stop and urged Cuban leaders to "make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE," posting the message on his Truth Social channel”

Buenos Aires Times

They denied that Havana was paid for security services and warned that cutting Venezuelan oil would deepen an already severe economic crisis marked by blackouts, shortages and weak tourism.

Cuba also reported casualties from the Caracas operation, citing the deaths of about 32 Cuban service members.

That figure was repeated by multiple news outlets and amplified in social media posts by Trump.

Reactions across the region and internationally are mixed and display contrasting narratives.

China has urged respect for sovereignty and non‑interference to avoid escalation.

Dimsum Daily

Some mainstream Western outlets, including the BBC and Le Monde.fr, describe a broader U.S. policy escalation involving sanctions and hawkish military rhetoric.

Western alternative and antiwar outlets such as Responsible Statecraft and news.antiwar warn that cutting oil or predicting Cuba’s collapse has repeatedly failed historically and could backfire.

Those outlets argue economic pain alone rarely produces a sustained, organized opposition capable of toppling Havana’s government.

Observers also note growing regional anxiety and call for avoiding further military intervention.