‘Make a deal before…': Trump threatens Cuba days after Venezuela strikes

President Donald Trump on Sunday said that Cuba should consider reaching an agreement with the United States, cautioning that the island nation would no longer receive oil or financial support. This comes days after Venezuela strikes.

Trump took to Truth Social and said, “THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.” He added that “Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela."

“In return, Cuba provided “Security Services” for the last two Venezuelan dictators, BUT NOT ANYMORE! Most of those Cubans are DEAD from last weeks U.S.A. attack, and Venezuela doesn’t need protection anymore from the thugs and extortionists who held them hostage for so many years,” he added.

He further said that Venezuela was now under the protection of the United States, which he described as the world’s most powerful military, and mentioned the US would ensure the country’s security.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on US operation in Venezuela

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Saturday slammed the United States over what he described as an attack on Venezuela and the seizure of its president, speaking before thousands of people gathered outside the US Embassy in Havana.

During the rally, Diaz-Canel said, "Cuba condemns and denounces these actions as an act of state terrorism,". He also described the situation as “a shocking violation of the norms of international law - the military aggression against a peaceful nation that poses no threat to the United States”.

Meanwhile, according to AP, experts say an abrupt end to Venezuelan oil deliveries to Cuba could trigger serious social instability and large-scale emigration, particularly after the dramatic US military operation that led to the former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's capture.

A 16-year-old Cuban student, Amanda Gómez, said many people are considering leaving the country, explaining that the desire to emigrate is shared across generations, from young people to the elderly.

Even before the January 3 attack, Cuba was struggling with severe power outages that disrupted daily life, along with long queues at fuel stations and grocery stores, as the country faced its worst economic downturn in decades.

Analysts warn that losing access to Venezuelan oil could push the island into an even deeper crisis. Michael Galant, a senior research and outreach associate at the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, DC, said the development would intensify an already bleak situation and described it as a clear sign of an economy in collapse.