Trump affirms that Mexico will stop sending oil to Cuba and opens new diplomatic tension

Once again, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, assured that Mexico will stop sending oil to Cuba.

According to Reuters reports, from the White House, Trump declared to the media: “Mexico will stop sending them oil”in direct reference to Cuba. The US president did not offer arguments or details to support why he expects crude oil shipments to stop.

OFFICIAL SILENCE OF MEXICO AND POSTURE OF THE SHEINBAUM GOVERNMENT

As of this writing, Mexican authorities have not issued an official position following Trump’s statements. However, the government headed by President Claudia Sheinbaum is analyzing maintaining fuel shipments to Cuba through diplomatic channels, in the midst of a complex international context.

The US president’s statements contradict what Sheinbaum said just a day before. On February 1, the Mexican president confirmed the sending of humanitarian aid to Cuba, as part of the support of the Mexican government in the face of the crisis that the island is going through.

DIPLOMACY AND THREAT OF US TARIFFS

In parallel, the Government of Mexico manages diplomatic permits to supply fuel to the Cuban population, in a scenario marked by the threat of new tariffs from the United States on those who export oil to Cuba. Sheinbaum has warned that these measures could worsen access to basic services on the Caribbean island.

The Secretary of the Navy coordinates the logistics operation that includes the transfer of food, belongings and essential supplies during the first week of February, as a provisional measure while the fuel situation is resolved.

SHEINBAUM RULES OUT DIRECT NEGOTIATION WITH TRUMP ON OIL

During a public event in Sonora on February 1, Claudia Sheinbaum explained that the humanitarian shipment will be maintained while a solution is sought “through diplomatic channels” to authorize oil exports, although she did not specify exact dates of departure or arrival of the shipment.

The president denied that the issue of fuel supply has been discussed directly with Donald Trump. As he explained, the conversation took place between the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Juan Ramón de la Fuente, and the Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio.

“We are looking for all diplomatic channels to be able to send fuel to the Cuban people, because this is not a matter for the governments”Sheinbaum said.

TRUMP INSISTS ON STOPPING SHIPPING AND TALKS ABOUT DIALOGUE WITH CUBA

For his part, Donald Trump reiterated on January 31, aboard Air Force One, that he explicitly asked Sheinbaum to stop oil shipments to the Cuban regime.

“The president of Mexico was very good; I told her: ‘we don’t want them to send oil there,’ and she is not sending anything”assured the American president.

Trump added that the United States began a rapprochement with Cuban authorities to explore new negotiations and affirmed that the situation “It doesn’t have to be a humanitarian crisis”suggesting that Cuba could seek agreements with Washington.

This new exchange of statements strains the diplomatic scene between Mexico, the United States and Cuba, while the Mexican government insists on prioritizing humanitarian aid and diplomatic channels in the midst of the energy crisis facing the island.