The Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum announced this Monday, during her morning conference at the National Palace, that Mexico is working to resume the shipment of oil to Cuba through private companies authorized to transport fuel to the island, in a commercial operation rather than a humanitarian one.
The official clarified that the supply has not yet resumed, but that efforts have been underway for "some time." "We are working on it, mainly through... it hasn't restarted yet, but the mechanism would be through private companies that have permission to bring fuel to Cuba. We hope it can be resumed soon on a commercial basis," she stated.
The last shipment of Mexican oil arrived in Cuba at the end of January, when Pemex canceled the shipment of the vessel Swift Galaxy without an official explanation, in response to pressure from the Trump administration, which signed Executive Order 14380 imposing secondary sanctions on countries supplying crude oil to the island.
Since then, the only significant energy relief came from Russia: 100,000 metric tons of crude donated in March 2026, which by June were running out. Russian Foreign Minister Serguéi Lavrov had warned in April that this assistance "will likely last a couple of months."
Sheinbaum linked the possible resumption to the 176 economic measures approved by the Cuban National Assembly on June 19, which expand opportunities for private enterprises, remove the limit on employees for small and medium-sized businesses, and allow for private banking and increased foreign investment.
"With the new features approved by Congress and the government of Cuba, there can be an increased commercial relationship with Mexican entrepreneurs in Cuba," the government official stated according to Milenio.
The shift towards private companies as a channel for delivery also responds to the sanctions that the United States imposed on CUPET in mid-June (Cuba-Petroleum Union) under Executive Order 14404, which blocked the assets of the Cuban state oil company under U.S. jurisdiction and warned foreign companies about potential repercussions.
By operating through Cuban private entities enabled by the new reforms, Mexico would seek to circumvent those restrictions.
The sanctions against CUPET have already halted a previous attempt: Vanguard Energy suspended a shipment of 250,000 barrels of fuel to Cuba citing "operational limitations," and Miami-Dade revoked its business license.
Sheinbaum emphasized that Mexico's humanitarian support for the island continues alongside commercial efforts. Since February, Mexico has sent over 4,800 tons of aid to Cuba, including food, medicine, and solar panels.
Cuba is experiencing its worst energy crisis in years this June, with electrical deficits reaching up to 2,174 MW, availability of only 960-1,160 MW against a demand of 2,500-3,150 MW, and blackouts of up to 48 consecutive hours in some areas of the country. The Electric Company of Santiago de Cuba admitted on June 18 that it could not even guarantee two hours of electricity per day in some circuits.
In 2025, Mexico supplied nearly 17% of the fuel consumed by Cuba, with hydrocarbon exports valued at 560 million dollars annually and an average of 17,200 barrels per day, the highest level in 25 years, operations managed by Gasolinas del Bienestar, a subsidiary of Pemex that was dissolved in May 2026.
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