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The cracks in the Cuban official discourse have once again come to light following the report of the alleged theft of an oil tanker in the Caribbean, which turned out to be false, at a time when the regime is increasingly vulnerable due to its deep energy dependence on the collapsed Caracas–Havana axis.
The Cuban economist Pedro Monreal publicly questioned the news spread by Cubadebate, after it described the interception of the oil tanker Olina by the United States as a "theft."
"Coordinate better. It turns out there is an official Venezuelan statement that does not speak of 'theft', but rather of 'the first successful joint operation' between the U.S. and Venezuela," he noted on X.
The criticism arises following the release of an official Venezuelan statement that describes the incident as a joint and coordinated operation between Washington and Caracas, openly contradicting the version propagated from Havana.
Cubadebate reported that the U.S. Coast Guard "seized" the vessel Olina near Trinidad and Tobago, which it characterized as "theft," and presented the action as part of an alleged "false narrative" from Washington regarding the restoration of hemispheric security.
In its text, the regime's official media insinuated that the operation would escalate tensions with Russia, the country to which the vessel allegedly transported fuel, and framed the incident as a unilateral act of force by the United States.
However, a report from the agency EFE confirmed that the Venezuelan government officially acknowledged that the interception of the oil tanker - also identified as Minerva - was carried out as part of a coordinated action between Caracas and Washington.
The Ministry of Hydrocarbons and the state-owned PDVSA reported that it was a "successful joint operation" that allowed the ship to return to Venezuelan waters after leaving without authorization or payment from the authorities of the South American country.
The U.S. president Donald Trump stated that the operation was carried out "in coordination with the interim authorities of Venezuela."
On his account Truth Social, he detailed that the operation was carried out by Marines deployed from the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, in an action that involved the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security.
The seized oil, he said, would be sold through a mechanism established by his administration for such operations.
For its part, Southern Command emphasized that the operation aimed to send a "clear message" against transnational illegal activities and was carried out without resistance.
The oil tanker Olina -formerly known as Minerva M- appears on the list of vessels sanctioned by the United States for its alleged involvement in transporting Russian energy exports intended to finance the war in Ukraine, according to the New York Times.
The acknowledgment of direct cooperation between Washington and Caracas is particularly significant following the capture of Nicolás Maduro and shortly after Vice President Delcy Rodríguez announced an "exploratory" process to re-establish diplomatic channels with the United States.
This political and energy reconfiguration leaves the Cuban regime in a particularly fragile position. For more than two decades, Cuba sustained its electrical system and much of its economy thanks to Venezuelan oil.
The collapse of Chavismo and the loss of that strategic support have exposed Havana to a deep energy crisis, characterized by prolonged blackouts, fuel shortages, and an increasing dependence on increasingly unstable external shipments.
The interception of the Olina adds to a series of seizures and boardings of oil tankers in which the United States has acted against networks transporting sanctioned crude, a practice that directly threatens the alternative channels the Cuban regime has used to mitigate its energy deficit.
Each detained or diverted vessel represents additional pressure on Cuba's already precarious capacity to ensure fuel for its electrical system and strategic sectors of the economy.
In that context, Cubadebate's insistence on labeling the operation as a "theft" not only clashes with the official statements from Caracas and Washington but also reveals the disconnect of the Cuban propaganda apparatus in the face of a reality that is becoming increasingly adverse for the regime.
The evidence of cooperation between the United States and the new Venezuelan scenario contributes to the growing isolation of Havana and anticipates an even more complex period for a system that critically relies on external oil for its sustainability.
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