Claudia Sheinbaum speaking about oil shipments at a press conference. Photo: EFE.
Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, stated that her country is working to resume oil shipments to Cuba amid the tightening of the illegal blockade imposed by the United States on the Caribbean island nation. The statement was made during President Sheinbaum’s regular press conference at the National Palace in response to a question about the arrival of a Russian tanker carrying crude oil to the island.
Sheinbaum noted that Mexico has been sending material aid to Cuba and will continue to do so. “Humanitarian aid is one thing, and another is the commercial agreements we have with Cuba, and that also has to do with the shipment of oil,” the president specified.
She added that these commercial agreements have been maintained “for decades; this is not new” and that in both areas—humanitarian and commercial—joint work with the Cuban government continues.
The head of the executive branch emphasized that Mexico has every right to send fuel, whether for humanitarian or commercial reasons, but reiterated that she does not wish to be punished by the United States, since “at one point there were tariffs [from Washington] if shipments were made.”
Sheinbaum explained that “later, the tariffs were reduced, and we always seek [to send] humanitarian aid. In that context, we will make the decision, and it will always be reported whether oil is sent to Cuba or not.”
On the other hand, the president referred to the existence of private companies in Cuba that are seeking private actors for fuel supply, not necessarily through government-to-government agreements.
“There are private parties that have approached us, for example, to be able to buy fuel from Pemex (Petróleos Mexicanos) and then deliver it themselves to private entities in Cuba,” she elaborated. “That is one of the requests that private actors have made to Pemex. There are several companies, not just one.”
Sheinbaum reaffirmed the defense of the Cuban people’s self-determination and the historic bilateral relationship between Mexico and Cuba: “No one should intervene, and if there is any issue related to that, there are multilateral organizations. There should not be intervention of one country over another country. And the Mexico-Cuba relationship is historic. It is not new, it is historic, and we will continue supporting the Cuban people.”
Within the framework of solidarity actions, the president reported that in a personal capacity, she made a donation of 20,000 pesos (around $1,104) to a fundraising initiative published in the newspaper La Jornada, backed by former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, to collect resources and purchase items for the island. This initiative adds to the shipment of various goods by the Mexican government.
The situation surrounding the US blockade on Cuba and alternative energy supply options continues to be monitored in the region, while Mexico maintains its stance of cooperation based on respect for sovereignty and the framework of international law.
Mexico Cuba Solidarity 2026: Díaz-Canel Expresses Gratitude for Support in the Face of the Blockade
(Telesur)
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/CB/SL
Cameron Baillie is an award-winning journalist, editor, and researcher. He won and was shortlisted for awards across Britain and Ireland. He is Editor-in-Chief of New Sociological Perspectives graduate journal and Commissioning Editor at The Student Intifada newsletter. He spent the first half of 2025 living, working, and writing in Ecuador. He does news translation and proofreading work with The Orinoco Tribune.
