Rubio denies US is punishing Cuba, says only change is end of Venezuelan oil subsidies

WASHINGTON, United States (MNTV) – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected claims that Washington is taking punitive action against Cuba, saying the only change is that Havana is “not getting free Venezuelan oil anymore” — a reference to the fall of Nicolas Maduro and the subsequent shift in Venezuelan policy toward the United States.

“We’ve done nothing punitive against the Cuban regime,” Rubio told Al Jazeera. “They claim we have, but we haven’t. They’re not getting subsidies anymore. That’s the only thing that’s changed.”

The remarks came as the U.S. maintained what critics describe as a de facto blockade preventing Cuba from receiving fuel, though Washington did not stop a Russian tanker from delivering oil this week.

President Trump said he had no objection to the delivery. “We don’t mind having somebody get a boatload because they need to survive,” he said. “Whether or not they get a boat of oil, it’s not going to matter.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the shipment had been “raised well in advance” with the Trump administration, and described the blockade as jeopardizing “life-support systems and electricity generation” while preventing the medical sector from functioning.

Experts consulted by CNN estimated the Russian supply could last between 10 and 30 days once refined and distributed.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also said her country could resume oil shipments to Cuba, either as humanitarian aid or for commercial purposes, though she gave no specific timeline.