“Zero Oil Or Money”: Trump’s Final Warning to Cuba
Synopsis
President Donald Trump has issued a high-stakes warning to Cuba, urging its leaders to “make a deal” before it’s too late. After the U.S. captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, Trump confirmed that oil and financial support from Caracas to Havana had officially ended. As Cuba faces severe fuel shortages and a collapsing economy, the Trump administration is using control over Venezuelan oil to push for political change. The president also sparked new controversy by suggesting Marco Rubio could lead a future Cuban government.
Breaking News: President Donald Trump has issued a blunt ultimatum to the Cuban government, warning that its long-time “oil lifeline” from Venezuela is officially over. On Sunday, January 11, 2026, the president used social media to tell Havana that it must negotiate a new deal with Washington immediately or face total economic collapse.
“There will be no more oil or money going to Cuba, zero!” Trump posted. The warning comes after the recent capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces, which halted the flow of about 35,000 barrels of oil a day that Cuba relied on to keep its lights on. With a new U.S.-backed government forming in Caracas, Trump is now using that leverage to pressure the Cuban leadership into compliance.
The end of the “oil for security” barter
For more than twenty years, Cuba and Venezuela maintained a “security-for-oil” agreement. Havana provided thousands of intelligence officers and bodyguards to protect Venezuela’s leaders in exchange for low-cost fuel. President Trump declared on Sunday that this deal is over, claiming that many of the Cuban operatives stationed in Caracas were killed during the U.S. raid to capture Maduro.
“Venezuela doesn’t need protection anymore from the thugs and extortionists who held them, hostage,” Trump wrote. He added that Venezuela is now under the protection of the U.S. military, which he called “the most powerful in the world.” Without Venezuelan oil, Cuba’s already fragile energy grid is expected to suffer even worse blackouts, possibly pushing the island toward a breaking point.
Marco Rubio and the future of Cuba
The pressure on Havana is not limited to energy. Trump also shared a post suggesting that his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, could become the next president of Cuba. Rubio, the son of Cuban exiles, has long been a fierce opponent of the island’s communist regime. Trump’s response to the idea was brief: “Sounds good to me.”
Although the White House has not yet announced formal terms for a potential “deal,” Rubio has previously stated that the Cuban government is “in a lot of trouble.” The administration’s strategy appears to focus on a full blockade of energy supplies combined with a campaign to encourage public unrest within Cuba. Trump has previously argued that the Cuban regime is “ready to fall” without the need for direct military intervention.
A deepening energy and economic crisis
The effects of the U.S. blockade on Venezuelan oil are already visible across Cuba. Long queues have appeared at gas stations, and authorities have reportedly begun stricter electricity rationing. President Miguel Díaz-Canel has denounced the U.S. actions as “imperialist terrorism,” but he faces an escalating crisis as the island’s fuel reserves reach critically low levels.
As the U.S. continues to seize tankers connected to the former Maduro regime, Cuba’s traditional allies, including Russia and Mexico, may find it too difficult or too risky to step in. For now, the world is watching to see whether Havana will negotiate with Washington or risk a complete economic collapse. As the president warned in his post on Sunday, “Make a deal, before it is too late.”
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At Inspirepreneurs Magazine, covering entrepreneurship, business failures, and the human stories behind the world's most ambitious founders. She writes at the intersection of strategy and storytelling.
