The President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, defended Mexican foreign policy on Tuesday amid escalating diplomatic tensions with the United States that once again place Cuba at the center of the regional geopolitical struggle.
During her morning conference, Sheinbaum rejected the narrative promoted from Washington and reminded that Cuba maintains trade relations with numerous countries, not just Mexico. “Cuba trades with many countries. Spain has investments, has trade. Many countries have trade with the island,” she stated.
The words of the Mexican leader come after Trump announced the imposition of tariffs on any country that sends oil to Cuba, whether directly or indirectly, as part of his pressure strategy against the Cuban regime, which is currently suffocated by an unprecedented energy crisis.
Days earlier, Sheinbaum confirmed that the issue of oil is being evaluated by her government, although she emphasized that the volume involved represents less than one percent of Mexican production and that there was a previous contract. Nevertheless, she acknowledged the seriousness of the situation the island is experiencing and stated that Mexico is using "all diplomatic avenues" to seek a solution that considers the humanitarian impact on the Cuban population.
“We are seeking sensitivity, especially in support of the Cuban people,” the president pointed out, stressing that Cuba is a sovereign country, just like the United States, and that Mexico does not act out of a desire for prominence or confrontation, but rather out of historical conviction.
In her speech, Sheinbaum openly appealed to the Mexican diplomatic tradition, invoking the Estrada Doctrine and the defense of the sovereignty of peoples as constitutional principles. She stated that her government's stance does not respond to personal or opportunistic interests, but rather to a line of foreign policy that Mexico has upheld for decades, with both dark moments and periods of "great brilliance."
The statements contrast with the version reiterated by Trump, who has insisted that Mexico stopped sending oil to Cuba after his direct request and has used this supposed gesture as a sign of the growing isolation of the Havana regime. While Washington tightens the economic grip, the crisis on the island deepens with prolonged blackouts, paralyzed transportation, and hospitals struggling due to a lack of fuel.
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