Will the US cut Cuba off from oil and electricity? Mexico: We will help the Cubans

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Friday that she would seek dialogue with the US over its announcement to impose tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba. She added that Mexico would look for alternative ways to help the Cuban people.

Mexico is one of the few suppliers of oil to Cuba, which depends on imports of fuels needed for electricity, transportation and communications. The US administration has already blocked the shipment of oil to Cuba from Venezuela.

– Imposing tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba could trigger a wide-scale humanitarian crisis, directly affecting hospitals, food and other basic services for the Cuban people. This is a situation that should be avoided, Sheinbaum said.

The president noted that she had instructed Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente to contact his American counterpart, Mark Rubio, to discuss the details of the tariffs.

– We need to know their scope because we do not want to bring the threat of tariffs to our country. We want to know the scope and always look for diplomatic paths, dialogue, not confrontation, and look for other ways to provide support, she said.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday, initiating the process of imposing sanctions on goods from countries that sell or otherwise transfer oil to Cuba.

The media have reported in recent days that the US administration is considering how it can bring about the fall of the regime in Cuba. According to the Politico website, one of the solutions being considered is the introduction of a complete maritime blockade of oil supplies to the island. (PAP)

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