Mexico has found itself walking a diplomatic tightrope as US President Donald Trump threatens to impose tariffs on countries sending oil to Cuba.
Mexico, a major trading partner of the United States and a key oil supplier to Cuba, could be hit hard by the tax if it continues to export to the Caribbean island nation.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum warned on Friday that the tariffs could “trigger a widespread humanitarian crisis” in Cuba, impacting hospitals, food supplies and other services.
But he did not say whether Cuba would cut exports, which account for 44% of its external oil supplies by 2025.
Instead, the Cuban government said it would ask the U.S. to clarify the scope of President Trump’s tariffs and look for other ways to help Cuba, which is already suffering frequent power outages due to the energy crisis.
“Of course, we do not want to risk further tariffs on Mexico, but rather through diplomatic channels we are looking for a framework of dialogue and communication that will prevent a serious situation for the Cuban people,” said Sheinbaum, who previously said oil exports were a “sovereign decision” by state-owned oil company Pemex.
President Trump signed an executive order Thursday suggesting tariffs. In it, he declared a “national emergency” and called the Cuban government’s actions an “unusual and extraordinary threat.”
The United States has a long history of seeking regime change in communist Cuba, which has been ruled by a socialist political system since 1961, but the Trump administration has increased pressure in recent weeks.
In a statement announcing the tariffs, the country accused the “Cuban regime” of “coordinating with hostile countries and malign forces and hosting their military and intelligence capabilities,” including Russia’s largest foreign signals intelligence facility. It also accused Havana of providing a safe haven for terrorist organizations “such as Hezbollah and Hamas” and of causing “chaos by spreading communist ideology.”
A key proponent of regime change within the Trump administration is Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The son of Cuban immigrants, he came of age immersed in Miami’s exile community and rose politically in a culture where memories of the island and deep fears of socialism remained powerful.
Cuba’s government on Friday denounced President Trump’s tariff threat, saying the tariffs would expose the island’s residents to extreme living conditions.
Cubans are already facing constant power outages and long lines at gas stations due to dwindling fuel supplies. Cuban officials blame existing U.S. economic sanctions primarily for the country’s weak energy sector, but critics also blame a lack of government investment in infrastructure.
Both power outages and gas supplies across the island have lengthened in recent days. Entire areas of Havana are plunged into darkness every night, traffic lights at major intersections frequently go out, and some government-run radio and television stations have ceased operations due to a lack of electricity and fuel to run generators.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said Trump’s threats were made under “empty pretexts” and accused him of trying to “suffocate” Cuba’s economy.
“This new measure demonstrates the fascist, criminal, and genocidal nature of a cabal that has usurped the interests of the American people for purely personal gain,” he said.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez accused the United States of trying to blackmail other countries into participating, saying it amounted to a “total blockade” of fuel supplies.
Rodriguez said Cuba was declaring an “international emergency,” mirroring the language of President Trump’s executive order, but did not say what that meant.
Like Mexico, Venezuela is under pressure from the threat of tariffs.
Until recently, Cuba supplied more than a third of its oil needs, according to energy industry analysts.
Those supplies have been disrupted since the U.S. military captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro earlier this month, after which President Trump said the U.S. would take control of the country’s oil reserves.
Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s former vice president, is now nominally in charge of the country as acting president, but it is unclear how much leeway she has to resist U.S. pressure. She has fulfilled many of Washington’s demands, including opening up the oil industry to foreign companies and releasing all known Americans detained in the country.
Still, the Venezuelan government joined Cuba in condemning President Trump’s executive order as a violation of international law and expressing solidarity with the Cuban people.
“Free trade is a core principle of international economic relations between sovereign states and must not be subject to coercion of any kind that prevents the free exchange of goods and services,” the Venezuelan government said on Friday.
