Mexico Halts Oil to Cuba After Trump Warning

Mexico City, January 26. Despite having affirmed that Mexico acts in full exercise of its sovereignty and does not submit to external pressures, the Mexican government reversed course and suspended the shipment of an oil cargo to Cuba, a decision that contrasts with the official discourse maintained just weeks ago by President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) removed from its schedule a crude oil shipment that was planned to be sent this month to the Caribbean island, according to documents accessed by Bloomberg. The shipment, originally scheduled for mid-January, would have arrived in Cuba before the month ended, but was eliminated without official explanation.

The cargo was destined to be transported aboard the vessel Swift Galaxy, according to the original schedule. However, the shipment was canceled discreetly, without Pemex or the Energy Ministry informing the reasons for the change in decision.

The suspension occurs in a context of increasing pressure from the United States government on Cuba, now led again by President Donald Trump, who issued a public warning against the island. “NO MORE OIL OR MONEY FOR CUBA. ZERO! I strongly suggest you reach an agreement BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social network, one week after the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro by US forces.

Before that warning, President Sheinbaum had indicated that Mexico would continue sending oil to Cuba as part of humanitarian aid, in support of a country affected by chronic blackouts and shortages of food and fuels. In that same context, she had emphasized that Mexican foreign policy is defined in a sovereign manner.

Mexico began sending crude oil to Cuba in 2023, after Venezuela reduced its supplies due to the decline in its oil production. During 2025, Pemex sent on average one vessel per month, equivalent to about 20,000 barrels daily, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

To date, Pemex and the Energy Ministry have not responded to requests for comments about the suspension of the shipment or whether the decision responds to technical, commercial, or political reasons.