The humanitarian aid seeks to alleviate the energy crisis caused by the U.S. blockade.
Two Liberian-flagged ships from Mexico, the Ocean Mariner and the Eugenia Gas, will transport 80,000 barrels of fuel to Cuba in the coming days to alleviate the blackout crisis caused by aging power plants and a lack of foreign currency.
RELATED:
Cuba Condemns U.S. Attack on Venezuelan Oil Tanker
While the Eugenia Gas loaded at the Pajaritos complex of Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) and sailed toward the Cuban port of Moa, the Ocean Mariner is still loading at the same facility. Cuba needs nearly 110,000 barrels of fuel per day to cover its basic needs, of which 40,000 come from domestic production.
Half of Cuba’s fuel comes from Venezuela, Mexico, and, to a lesser extent, Russia. The reduction in Mexican shipments, from nearly 25,000 barrels per day to around 5,000, along with the U.S. naval deployment off the coast of Venezuela, has worsened Cuba’s energy situation.
The island has faced an energy crisis since mid-2024 due to breakdowns at aging power plants and a lack of resources to fix them, due to the U.S. blockade. In one year, the energy system suffered five total blackouts and several partial ones.
Previously, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum framed these shipments as humanitarian aid and noted that relations with Cuba have always been a source of contention with the United States since the 1959 Cuban Revolution.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced a naval blockade against sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, which also threatens to intensify the crisis in Cuba. The measure aims to curb the supply of Venezuelan hydrocarbons.
#VivaLaUniónDeLosPueblos #CHCh
El pueblo venezolano movilizado en la calle en rechazo al robo del buque petrolero iraní skipper el cual ejecutó el gobierno de los Estados Unidos delante de los ojos del mundo la ONU en silencio total la OEA en silencio total pic.twitter.com/v98DtF1p0Y— Brichar2017 (@brichar2017) December 15, 2025
The text reads, “The Venezuelan people mobilize to reject the theft of the Iranian oil tanker Skipper, which was carried out by the United States government before the eyes of the world. The UN and the OAS remained completely silent.”
The Cuban Foreign Ministry described the naval blockade as an act of piracy and maritime terrorism, and denounced that the United States seeks to prevent Venezuela from freely trading its natural resources, including supplies to Cuba.
President Trump declared that the objective of the naval blockade is to “recover our oil.” He added that Venezuela “took away” all of U.S. energy rights and reiterated his intention to recover land and operations that U.S. companies previously held in that country.
However, U.S. oil companies are showing no interest in returning to Venezuela: the Trump administration consulted with companies about resuming operations if President Nicolas Maduro were overthrown, and the response was a resounding “No.”
Trump asserted that the naval blockade would continue until Washington gains control of Venezuelan oil, while he maintains a bellicose rhetoric that is escalating diplomatic and military tensions in the region.
This stance prompted members of the U.S. House of Representatives to push for an emergency vote to halt the use of U.S. armed forces inside or against Venezuela without the Congress’s authorization, but the initiative failed.
The United States government's threats against Venezuela and the military deployment in the #CaribbeanSea were condemned by Ernesto Soberon, the representative of #Cuba to the United Nations. pic.twitter.com/xIwQ4xYopD
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) December 18, 2025
teleSUR: JP
Source: EFE – La Jornada
From teleSUR English via This RSS Feed.