'US behaving in criminal manner, Cuba has right to buy oil without interference': Cuban minister amid Trump threats

Bruno Rodriguez, the Foreign Minister of Cuba claimed on Sunday that the country has the rights to buy oil from any other country which is willing to export it without US interference as per Reuters, after President Donald Trump claimed in a social media post that there will be no more oil or money going to Cuba.

In his post on Truth Social, Trump had said, "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. Venezuela now has the United States of America, the most powerful military in the World (by far!), to protect them, and protect them we will," he further added before claiming that "THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. Thank you for your attention to this matter."

Rodriguez has also accused the US of behaving in a 'criminal' manner and threatening global peace with its actions.

"Cuba's government will not be subject of US blackmail or military coercion," Rodriguez also said, as per Reuters.

What the US thinks of Cuba's economy, politics

The CIA views the key sectors of Cuba's economy, like tourism and agriculture, to be severely strained due to trade sanctions, frequent blackouts, and other problems, as per Reuters.

Governing the island could become more difficult post the potential loss of oil imports and support from Venezuela, which has been one of its key allies for decades.

From January to November 2025, Venezuela had sent Cuba an average of 27,000 barrels per day (bdp), which covered around half of the country's oil deficit, as per Reuters.

Although the CIA has highlighted the grim condition of the Cuban economy, it has not offered support for Trump's prediction that Cuba is "ready to fall" after US military action in Venezuela.

"Cuba looks like it is ready to fall," Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday. "I don't know if they're going to hold out, but Cuba now has no income. They got all their income from Venezuela, from the Venezuelan oil."

Reuters spoke to independent analysts who said that Cuba's energy situation was already in dire straits even with Venezuelan oil imports, but now with the oil flow from Caracas shifting, the crisis will only get more severe.