Trump Claims 'Cuba Will Be Failing Pretty Soon' As Economic Crisis Deepens Further

President Donald Trump said "Cuba will be failing pretty soon" as a result of its continued economic collapse, exacerbated by the U.S.'s influence over Venezuela following the capture of Nicolas Maduro.

Speaking to press on Tuesday, Trump said "we're going to see what happens with Cuba." "Cuba will be failing pretty soon. It's really a nation that is very close to failing. They got their money and their oil from Venezuela. They're not getting that anymore," he added.

The Trump administration is reportedly seeking to drive regime change in Cuba, now considering a total blockade on oil imports.

Politico detailed last week that the initiative is resisted by some in the administration but has the backing of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

There are ongoing debates about whether it is necessary to go that far, considering the country is going through its worst crisis in the almost 70 years since the Communist revolution. Such a step could exacerbate a humanitarian crisis and see the U.S. take the blame for it. No decision has been made.

Mexico's state-run oil company Pemex stopped a shipment to Cuba scheduled for this month amid pressure from the Trump administration.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, however, rejected claims that the halting of oil shipments to Cuba was prompted by pressure from Washington, framing the decision as a sovereign policy choice shaped by state oil company Pemex's contractual considerations.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Sheinbaum said Pemex made the decision to suspend exports, while emphasizing that Mexico's approach to supplying oil to Cuba has historically been guided by national sovereignty and humanitarian considerations. "Pemex makes its decisions, and as we have said, Mexico's decision to sell or provide oil to Cuba for humanitarian reasons is also linked to a sovereign decision," she said.

Pemex had become a key supplier for Cuba after Venezuelan shipments declined following U.S. intervention in Caracas. The shift has coincided with broader geopolitical pressures, including debates in Washington over tightening restrictions on Cuba's energy imports and ongoing negotiations over trade relations between Mexico, the United States and Canada.

Republican lawmakers in the United States welcomed the suspension of the shipment as a sign of Mexico's shifting posture. Florida Representative María Elvira Salazar said on social media that she had previously urged Sheinbaum to stop "financing the dictatorship with free oil," calling the development "great news" and "a clear sign that the end of the Cuban regime is getting close."