Mexico’s state oil company backtracked on plans to send a much-needed shipment of crude oil to Cuba, a long-time ally of ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
Crude oil prices have been on the rise of late and the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has further fuelled concerns of supply disruption leading to further spike in prices. (Representational image) (Reuters)
Petroleos Mexicanos, which was expected to send a shipment this month, removed the cargo from its schedule, according to documents seen by Bloomberg. The shipment was set to load in mid-January and would have arrived in Cuba before the end of the month under the original schedule.
Pemex and Mexico’s Energy Ministry didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment.
While it’s unclear why the cargo was shelved, the removal comes as the administration of US President Donald Trump increases pressure on the Caribbean island. “THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE,” Trump said in a Truth Social post a week after Maduro’s capture by US forces.
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Before Trump’s comments on Cuba, President Claudia Sheinbaum had said Mexico planned to continue supplying oil to Cuba as part of humanitarian aid to the island, a country plagued by chronic power outages, food and fuel shortages.
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Before Trump’s comments on Cuba, President Claudia Sheinbaum had said Mexico planned to continue supplying oil to Cuba as part of humanitarian aid to the island, a country plagued by chronic power outages, food and fuel shortages.
Mexico started sending oil to Cuba in 2023, when Venezuela reduced supplies amid its falling oil production. Pemex sent an average of one ship per month, or the equivalent of 20,000 barrels a day of crude oil last year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
The canceled shipment was expected to load in mid-January on board the vessel Swift Galaxy, according to the document. It was removed from the schedule without an explanation.
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This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.
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Home/World News/Mexico shelves planned shipment of oil to Cuba amid US tensions
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