President Trump does not do subtle warnings, and on Sunday he made that crystal clear to the Cuban regime. In a blunt Truth Social post, the president delivered an ultimatum that Havana has spent decades hoping would never arrive. The free ride is over. No more Venezuelan oil. No more money. No more protection racket disguised as “security services.”
For years, Cuba survived by leeching off Venezuela. Cheap oil flowed into Havana while Cuban intelligence officers and security personnel embedded themselves deep inside Venezuela’s government, military, and intelligence services. That arrangement collapsed the moment U.S. forces captured Nicolás Maduro earlier this month. President Trump wasted no time spelling out the consequences.
“Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela,” Trump wrote, reminding everyone that Cuba’s role was not humanitarian or friendly. It was transactional and coercive. Cuba provided “Security Services” to prop up Venezuelan dictators, and in exchange it drained the country’s resources. According to Trump, that protection ended violently during last week’s U.S. military operation, which reportedly killed dozens of Cuban officers guarding Maduro.
“…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.”- President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/bHEIysJ7q1
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 11, 2026
That detail matters, no matter how uncomfortable it makes the usual media crowd. Cuban officials themselves confirmed that 32 Cuban officers died defending Maduro. That alone exposes how deeply Cuba had inserted itself into Venezuela’s sovereignty. This was not advisory help. This was occupation by proxy.
The U.S. operation in Caracas was decisive. Power was cut, Maduro and his wife were extracted, and the regime collapsed in hours, not months. President Trump announced that the United States would temporarily oversee Venezuelan operations while oil infrastructure is rebuilt and authority is transitioned safely. The message was simple. Venezuela is no longer a hostage state.
The historical context makes Cuba’s panic obvious. Since the early 2000s, under Hugo Chávez and Fidel Castro, Venezuela became Cuba’s economic lifeline. Subsidized oil, sometimes tens of thousands of barrels per day, kept Cuba’s power grid running and its economy from total collapse. In return, Cuban doctors, teachers, and more importantly intelligence officers flooded Venezuela. After the Soviet Union fell apart, Venezuela replaced Moscow as Cuba’s sugar daddy.
Now that pipeline is gone. Cuba is already dealing with blackouts, medicine shortages, food inflation, and growing unrest. Losing Venezuelan oil is not just a setback, it is an existential threat. President Trump knows it, and he said it plainly. Make a deal before it is too late.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio backed that position without hesitation. He pointed out that one of Venezuela’s biggest challenges is declaring independence from Cuban control, especially from a security standpoint. Rubio also made clear that the Cuban regime has been a disaster not just for Venezuela, but for its own people.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel can condemn the U.S. all he wants. Flags are already at half-staff in Havana, and the regime is bracing for unrest. Without Venezuelan oil, Cuba’s options are limited. They can negotiate, or they can collapse. President Trump has made it clear which outcome he prefers.
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