Trump tells Cuba to ‘make a deal’ or face the consequences

Donald Trump has told Cuba to “make a deal” or face unspecified consequences, adding that no more Venezuelan oil or money would flow to the communist-run Caribbean island that has been a US foe for decades.As Cuba, a close ally of Venezuela and major beneficiary of its oil, braced for potential widespread unrest after Nicolás Maduro was deposed as the South American nation’s leader, the US president ramped up his threatening language on Sunday.“THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO Cuba – ZERO!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”He provided no details about what form such a deal could take.Venezuela is Cuba’s biggest oil supplier but amid a strict US oil blockade, shipping data shows that no cargoes have left Venezuelan ports headed to the Caribbean country since last week’s capture of Maduro by US forces.Dozens of Venezuelan and Cuban security personnel were killed in the US raid, after which Trump said Cuba was “ready to fall”, noting the island’s deep economic crisis and that it would be difficult for Havana to “hold out” without cheap Venezuelan oil.Earlier on Sunday, the US president reposted a message suggesting the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, whose parents were Cuban immigrants, could become the country’s new president, adding: “Sounds good to me!”In a separate message soon afterwards, Trump said Cuba had “lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela. In return, Cuba provided ‘Security Services’ for the last two Venezuelan dictators, BUT NOT ANYMORE!”“Most of those Cubans are DEAD from last week’s USA attack, and Venezuela doesn’t need protection anymore from the thugs and extortionists who held them hostage for so many years.”Cuba’s foreign minister, Bruno Rodríguez, said it had not been compensated for security services provided to another country and Cuba had the right to import fuel from any country. He accused the US of behaving in a “criminal” manner.Some Republican US lawmakers on Sunday lauded Trump for his aggressive comments. Mario Díaz-Balart, a US congressman from Florida, said that after “decades of misery, tragedy, and pain” the regime in Havana was nearing its end.Caracas and Washington are working on a $2bn deal to supply up to 50m barrels of Venezuelan oil to the US, with proceeds to be deposited in US Treasury-supervised accounts – a test of relations between Trump and Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez.Trump’s remarks came after the US on Saturday urged its citizens to leave Venezuela immediately amid reports that armed paramilitaries are trying to track down US citizens in the country.In a security alert sent out on Saturday, the state department said there were reports of armed members of pro-regime militias, known as colectivos, setting up roadblocks and searching cars for evidence that the occupants were US citizens or supporters.“US citizens in Venezuela should remain vigilant and exercise caution when traveling by road,” the alert added, urging citizens to depart immediately now that some international flights from Venezuela have restarted.Speaking to the New York Times last week, Trump said he would like to visit Venezuela in the future after having claimed the US was “running” the South American country after removing its leader.“I think at some point it’ll be safe,” the US president told reporters. But the state department alert exposed how volatile the situation remains after last weekend’s special forces raid, during which scores of people were killed.Responding to the security alert, the Venezuelan foreign ministry said the US state department warning was “based on fabricated accounts aimed at creating a perception of risk that does not exist”.“Venezuela is in absolute calm, peace, and stability,” the ministry said. “All populated centres, communication routes, checkpoints, and security devices are functioning normally.” It said the government was “the sole guarantor of the legitimate monopoly of force and the tranquility of the Venezuelan people”.Agence France-Presse and Reuters contributed to this report