Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel hit back Saturday at U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat against his country, vowing to defend it after Washington captured the leader of his ally Venezuela.
"Cuba is a free, independent and sovereign nation. No one tells us what to do," Diaz-Canel wrote on X, adding that the Caribbean island was "ready to defend the homeland to the last drop of blood."
Trump on Sunday said no more Venezuelan oil or money will go to Cuba and suggested the Communist-run island should strike a deal with Washington, ramping up pressure on the long-time U.S. nemesis.
Venezuela is Cuba's biggest oil supplier, but no cargoes have departed from Venezuelan ports to the Caribbean country since the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces in early January amid a strict U.S. oil blockade on the OPEC country, shipping data shows.
Meanwhile, Caracas and Washington are progressing on a $2 billion deal to supply up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil to the U.S. with proceeds to be deposited in U.S. Treasury-supervised accounts, a major test of the emerging relationship between Trump and interim President Delcy Rodriguez.
