Washington, D.C., 12 January (H.S.): President Donald Trump warned Cuba on Sunday, to negotiate promptly or forfeit vital Venezuelan oil supplies, escalating pressure on Havana following the U.S. military's January 3 raid that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas.

In a Truth Social post, Trump declared an end to the large amounts of OIL and MONEY Cuba received from Venezuela in exchange for security services, asserting, THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO! while urging a deal to avert unspecified consequences.

Post-Raid Leverage and Oil Seizures

The operation, codenamed Absolute Resolve, involved Delta Force storming Maduro's compound at Fuerte Tiuna after airstrikes suppressed defenses, with Maduro pleading not guilty to narcoterrorism charges in Manhattan federal court on January 5.

Cuba, reliant on 35,000 barrels daily from Venezuela—its primary benefactor—now grapples with worsening fuel shortages after U.S. seizures of five sanctioned tankers by Friday, January 9, crippling Havana's electricity grid and daily life.

Trump boasted that Venezuela, freed from thugs and extortionists, enjoys U.S. protection, noting 32 Cuban security personnel killed in the raid.

Cuban Defiance and Diplomatic RebuffsForeign Minister Bruno Rodríguez retorted that Cuba holds the absolute right to import fuel from any source without interference or subordination to U.S. coercion, denying any compensation for past Venezuelan security aid.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel echoed sovereignty, slamming U.S. hysteria over Cuba's political model and rejecting dictation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio amplified threats, warning Cuban leaders of dire straits, while Trump reposted speculation of Rubio—a Cuban-American—as Cuba's future president, commenting, Sounds good to me!

Broader Monroe Doctrine RevivalFraming policy via a rebranded Donroe Doctrine, Trump eyes hemispheric dominance, targeting leftist allies like sanctioned Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Mexican cartels, with offers of U.S. troops rebuffed by President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Relations, thawed under Obama, soured post-2017; Trump's second term swiftly reinstated Cuba's state sponsor of terrorism label after Biden's reversal. As U.S. forces control Venezuelan oil flows indefinitely, experts foresee prolonged instability, with Venezuela's interim leadership under Delcy Rodríguez releasing prisoners to stave off further strikes.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar