The Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla published a message on X this Tuesday commemorating the 72nd anniversary of the birth of Hugo Chávez Frías, accompanied by an official image from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, in a gesture of ideological nostalgia that contrasts with the rapid deterioration of the ties between Havana and Caracas.
In his post, Rodríguez Parrilla wrote: "We commemorate in Cuba the 72nd anniversary of the birth of Commander Hugo Chávez Frías. We remember his mark as a leader of the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela and a promoter of Latin American and Caribbean unity. His strong friendship with Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz transcended both peoples and enabled the realization of important cooperation projects, based on solidarity and social justice."
The breaking point in the bilateral relationship arrived with the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. special forces on January 3, 2026, an event that left Cuba without its main political ally and without the oil supply that had been the material cornerstone of the alliance for over two decades.
Cuba stopped receiving Venezuelan oil on January 9, 2026, worsening an already severe energy crisis on the island. Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed in April of that year four consecutive months without external fuel—from December 2025 to April 2026—and estimated that before the cut, Venezuela was sending between 25,000 and 35,000 barrels per day to the island.
Experts consulted by the EFE agency described the relationship between the two countries in May 2026 as “completely paralyzed” or at risk of “gradual cooling,” with no clear prospects for recovery in the short term.
The energy deterioration was compounded by the gradual withdrawal of Cuban missions in Venezuela. Until the end of 2025, approximately 13,000 Cuban healthcare workers remained in the country; by June 2026, it was reported that doctors in specialties such as pediatrics, gynecology, and ophthalmology had begun to leave centers of the Barrio Adentro network, a process accelerated by pressure from Washington against the medical brigades.
The Venezuelan government, led since Maduro's capture by the acting president Delcy Rodríguez, has maintained a discourse of continuity with Cuba but has drastically reduced practical cooperation. The total flow of money and resources between the two countries was estimated at 63 billion dollars throughout the entire alliance.
In this context, the commemoration of Chávez's birthday by the Cuban regime evokes the golden era of an alliance that is gradually unraveling piece by piece. A year ago, in July 2025, Díaz-Canel had referred to the late Venezuelan leader as "Cuba's best friend" and "an inspiration for revolutionaries around the world," in a message that he accompanied with congratulations to Maduro for electoral results at that time.
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