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Mexico took a step that had only been discussed behind closed doors until recently: Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) canceled a shipment of crude oil destined for Cuba, signaling that political pressure from the United States is beginning to translate into concrete decisions that significantly impact the already fragile energy situation on the Island.
According to a report by Bloomberg, Pemex has removed from its schedule the delivery of a shipment that was planned for mid-January, with an expected arrival in Cuba before the end of the month.
The shipment, which was to be transported by the vessel Swift Galaxy, was removed from the itinerary without any official explanations provided by the company or the Mexican Secretariat of Energy.
The decision comes at a particularly delicate time for Cubans. Since 2023, Mexico has been maintaining regular shipments of crude oil to the Island following the drop in supplies from Venezuela, which have become a lifeline amid prolonged blackouts, fuel shortages, and an economic crisis that impacts daily life. Last year alone, those shipments averaged about 20,000 barrels per day, according to data collected by Bloomberg.
The brake comes amid a hardening of Washington's rhetoric. U.S. President Donald Trump has made his rejection of any energy support to Havana clear, expressing it bluntly on social media: "There will be no more oil or money for Cuba — zero!"
The message was published just a week after the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces, a blow that also impacted the already reduced shipments of Venezuelan crude to the Island.
So far, the Mexican government had publicly defended the supply as "humanitarian aid." President Claudia Sheinbaum stated a few days ago that Mexico planned to maintain shipments to alleviate the Cuban energy crisis. However, sources previously cited by Reuters already warned that the policy was under internal review due to fears of commercial and political retaliation from the United States.
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