Maduro’s Arrest by US Forces: A Potential Threat to Cuba’s Economy Reliant on Venezuelan Oil Subsidies
The recent U.S. military operation aimed at apprehending Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro could have significant repercussions for Cuba’s economy. The communist nation is already grappling with the potential fallout from losing a crucial economic and security ally.
Maduro, along with his wife, was captured over the weekend following an order from President Donald Trump. The couple faces serious charges related to a narcoterrorism conspiracy, marking a pivotal moment in the region’s political landscape.
The removal of Maduro threatens to dismantle an economic partnership that began under his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, who held power until 2013. Chávez initiated a program of heavily subsidized oil shipments to Cuba in 1999, famously describing the alliance as placing both nations “in a sea of happiness.”
AFTER MADURO, VENEZUELA FACES HARD CHOICES TO REBUILD ITS SHATTERED ECONOMY
In return for Venezuela’s oil, the Cuban government dispatched healthcare professionals to Venezuela, alongside security and counterintelligence personnel to bolster the Chávez regime against opposition forces. Initially, Venezuela supplied Cuba with around 100,000 barrels of oil daily. However, The Wall Street Journal reported that these shipments have dwindled to approximately 30,000 barrels per day due to a U.S. crackdown on sanctioned Venezuelan oil.
The Trump administration has actively sought to obstruct these shipments, even seizing two oil tankers off the Venezuelan coast in December as part of a blockade designed to halt the flow of sanctioned Venezuelan oil.
US NOW IN CONTROL OF VENEZUELA’S OIL RESERVES, THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD: CHART
According to data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), Cuba has been a net importer of energy for decades, with net energy imports constituting 66.1% of its total energy supply in 2023. This dependency has only intensified as Cuba’s economy struggles with a mass exodus of its population, food shortages, and frequent blackouts due to an unreliable energy grid.
Reports indicate that over 2.7 million people, roughly a quarter of Cuba’s population, have left the island since 2020, as noted by Havana-based demographer Juan Carlos Albizu-Campos.
US OIL GIANTS MUM AFTER TRUMP SAYS THEY’LL SPEND BILLIONS IN VENEZUELA
During a recent press briefing aboard Air Force One, Trump expressed his belief that Cuba is on the verge of collapse. When asked about potential U.S. actions against the Cuban government, he stated, “I think it’s just going to fall. I don’t think we need any action. Looks like it’s going down. It’s going down for the count.”
TRUMP SAYS CUBA IS ‘READY TO FALL’ AFTER CAPTURE OF VENEZUELA’S MADURO
U.S. officials have highlighted the crucial role Cuban security forces played in maintaining Maduro’s grip on power. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that Cuban operatives effectively managed Venezuela’s internal intelligence and security operations, including personally guarding Maduro and monitoring loyalty within his government.
In a tragic turn of events, the Cuban government reported that 32 military and police officers were killed during the U.S. operation in Venezuela. State media indicated these officers were deployed at the request of Maduro’s administration.
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Trump confirmed the casualties, stating, “A lot of Cubans were killed,” and emphasized that there was “a lot of death on the other side. No death on our side.”
Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
The recent U.S. military operation aimed at apprehending Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro could have significant repercussions for Cuba’s economy. The communist nation is already grappling with the potential fallout from losing a crucial economic and security ally.
Maduro, along with his wife, was captured over the weekend following an order from President Donald Trump. The couple faces serious charges related to a narcoterrorism conspiracy, marking a pivotal moment in the region’s political landscape.
The removal of Maduro threatens to dismantle an economic partnership that began under his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, who held power until 2013. Chávez initiated a program of heavily subsidized oil shipments to Cuba in 1999, famously describing the alliance as placing both nations “in a sea of happiness.”
AFTER MADURO, VENEZUELA FACES HARD CHOICES TO REBUILD ITS SHATTERED ECONOMY
In return for Venezuela’s oil, the Cuban government dispatched healthcare professionals to Venezuela, alongside security and counterintelligence personnel to bolster the Chávez regime against opposition forces. Initially, Venezuela supplied Cuba with around 100,000 barrels of oil daily. However, The Wall Street Journal reported that these shipments have dwindled to approximately 30,000 barrels per day due to a U.S. crackdown on sanctioned Venezuelan oil.
The Trump administration has actively sought to obstruct these shipments, even seizing two oil tankers off the Venezuelan coast in December as part of a blockade designed to halt the flow of sanctioned Venezuelan oil.
US NOW IN CONTROL OF VENEZUELA’S OIL RESERVES, THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD: CHART
According to data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), Cuba has been a net importer of energy for decades, with net energy imports constituting 66.1% of its total energy supply in 2023. This dependency has only intensified as Cuba’s economy struggles with a mass exodus of its population, food shortages, and frequent blackouts due to an unreliable energy grid.
Reports indicate that over 2.7 million people, roughly a quarter of Cuba’s population, have left the island since 2020, as noted by Havana-based demographer Juan Carlos Albizu-Campos.
US OIL GIANTS MUM AFTER TRUMP SAYS THEY’LL SPEND BILLIONS IN VENEZUELA
During a recent press briefing aboard Air Force One, Trump expressed his belief that Cuba is on the verge of collapse. When asked about potential U.S. actions against the Cuban government, he stated, “I think it’s just going to fall. I don’t think we need any action. Looks like it’s going down. It’s going down for the count.”
TRUMP SAYS CUBA IS ‘READY TO FALL’ AFTER CAPTURE OF VENEZUELA’S MADURO
U.S. officials have highlighted the crucial role Cuban security forces played in maintaining Maduro’s grip on power. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that Cuban operatives effectively managed Venezuela’s internal intelligence and security operations, including personally guarding Maduro and monitoring loyalty within his government.
In a tragic turn of events, the Cuban government reported that 32 military and police officers were killed during the U.S. operation in Venezuela. State media indicated these officers were deployed at the request of Maduro’s administration.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
Trump confirmed the casualties, stating, “A lot of Cubans were killed,” and emphasized that there was “a lot of death on the other side. No death on our side.”
Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
