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President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Tuesday that Mexico is utilising all “diplomatic channels” to reach an agreement with Washington that would allow the resumption of vital crude oil shipments to Cuba.
The island nation is currently facing its worst economic crisis since the fall of the Soviet Union, exacerbated by the recent U.S. military ousting of its primary supplier, Venezuela.
The diplomatic standoff follows threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to impose heavy tariffs on any nation providing oil to the sanctioned island.
While President Trump recently claimed Mexico had already agreed to halt shipments, Sheinbaum clarified that she is attempting to balance a potential humanitarian catastrophe in Cuba against the economic risk of U.S. trade penalties on Mexico.
Mexico plans to dispatch a wave of humanitarian aid to Havana this week, but the critical issue of fuel remains unresolved.
Sheinbaum noted that her administration is still evaluating the “scope” of the proposed U.S. tariffs, as the loss of Mexican oil would leave Cuba—previously dependent on a “doctors-for-oil” swap with Venezuela—with almost no remaining energy lifelines.
