According to Trump, Cuba previously provided "security services" for the last two Venezuelan dictators, but that time has passed. He also noted that Venezuela no longer needs protection from "thugs and extortionists" who have oppressed it for many years, as its security will now be ensured by the American army.
“No oil and money will go to Cuba anymore — zero! I strongly recommend that they make a deal before it’s too late,” Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform.
This statement was responded to by Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, who emphasized that Cuba "has never received and does not receive compensation for security services" from other countries. He added that, unlike the United States, the Cuban government does not engage in mercenarism, blackmail, or coercion. “Right and justice are on Cuba's side,” the minister noted, criticizing the U.S. as a “criminal hegemon” threatening peace and security.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel also stated that the country has been experiencing aggression from the U.S. for 66 years. “Cuba is a free, independent, and sovereign country, and no one is allowed to dictate to us what to do. We do not attack others, but for 66 years we have been under attack from the U.S. Cuba is ready to defend its country to the last drop of blood,” Diaz-Canel wrote on social media platform X.
After the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in early January, Trump also warned Cuba, noting that it is "in very bad shape," and that Colombia, according to him, produces cocaine. A few days later, he reiterated that “Cuba is hanging by a thread” and is “in great trouble.” Following Maduro's overthrow, Cuban authorities reported the deaths of 32 Cubans who served in the armed and intelligence forces during the U.S. operation in Caracas.
