Mexico's state oil company Pemex has canceled a crude oil shipment to Cuba scheduled for late January 2026, as the US escalates efforts to cut off fuel supplies to the island following its January 3 capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The decision heightens Cuba's energy crisis, with the country relying heavily on Mexican imports amid chronic blackouts and isolation.
Pemex removed the mid-January shipment—set to load on the Panama-flagged Swift Galaxy and arrive in Cuba by month's end—from its delivery calendar, as reported by Bloomberg on January 27, 2026. No official reason was provided, with Mexican energy sources citing crude availability, logistics, and market conditions. However, the cancellation aligns with mounting US pressure on allies to halt support for Cuba.
The move follows US President Donald Trump's social media post stating, “there will be no more oil or money for Cuba: zero,” issued nearly two weeks prior. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright initially indicated the policy would permit Mexico's shipments, but Reuters reports Mexico is now evaluating whether to maintain, reduce, or suspend deliveries amid fears of Trump administration reprisals. Politico notes the White House is considering invoking the Helms-Burton Act to blockade Cuba's oil imports, while US Navy drones have intensified surveillance over Gulf of Mexico tanker routes.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, in a January 13 call with Trump, denied discussing Cuba and emphasized historic cooperation while offering to mediate US-Cuba talks. She had previously affirmed Mexico's shipments as humanitarian aid amid Cuba's blackouts, food shortages, and fuel scarcity.
Cuba requires at least 110,000 barrels per day but produces only 40,000 barrels of heavy crude domestically, facing blackouts exceeding 40 hours in some provinces. Pemex became Cuba's primary supplier after Venezuela reduced exports due to its own declines, delivering an average of around 20,000 barrels daily in 2024 and 19,200 barrels daily from January to September 2025, with expert Jorge Piñón estimating 8,700 barrels daily over the first 13 months of Sheinbaum's administration. The last delivery arrived January 9 on the Ocean Mariner, carrying 85,000 barrels from Veracruz.
Reactions include thousands marching in Havana before the US embassy to protest the deaths of 32 Cubans in the US operation capturing Maduro. Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel honored them as 'brave fighters,' while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Cuban officials to be concerned. Cuba's isolation deepens as leaders from Argentina, El Salvador, and others back Trump, opposed by Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia.
Neither Pemex nor Mexico's Energy Secretariat has commented officially.
