President Trump’s ultimatum to Cuba following America’s decisive military operation against Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro represents the most aggressive leverage play against the communist regime in decades, cutting off Cuba’s oil lifeline and demanding immediate capitulation.
Story Highlights
- U.S. military operation captured Maduro, now jailed in New York on drug trafficking charges
- Trump declares America “in charge” of Venezuela and cuts all oil and money flows to Cuba
- Cuban regime faces an energy crisis after losing its decades-long Venezuelan subsidized oil supply
- Trump warns Cuba to “make a deal, before it’s too late” as regime appears weakened
America Takes Control of Venezuelan Oil Operations
President Trump announced that the United States successfully captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a swift military operation, with the socialist dictator now imprisoned in New York, facing drug trafficking charges.
Trump declared America is “temporarily in charge” of Venezuela while installing Delcy Rodríguez as interim president under strict U.S. oversight. The operation targeted Venezuela’s stolen oil resources and eliminated the corrupt network that had been funneling billions to America’s enemies, including the Cuban communist regime.
Trump tells Cuba to 'make a deal, before it is too late' https://t.co/zINhOUhhdu
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 11, 2026
Trump Cuts Cuba’s Economic Lifeline
Trump immediately severed all Venezuelan oil and financial support flowing to Cuba, announcing, “THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO!” This decisive action targets Cuba’s decades-long dependence on subsidized Venezuelan oil, which has sustained the failing communist economy since Hugo Chávez’s rise in 1999.
The president emphasized that Cuba had “lived for many years on large amounts of oil” from Venezuela, but those days of American adversaries benefiting from stolen resources are over.
The energy cutoff represents a strategic masterstroke that exploits Cuba’s fundamental vulnerability. Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained the operation aims to eliminate Iranian and Cuban influence in Venezuela while redirecting oil resources “for the benefit of the people” rather than “pirates and adversaries of the United States.”
This aligns perfectly with Trump’s doctrine of protecting American interests and stopping the flow of drugs into our country.
Cuban Regime Faces Collapse Pressure
Trump assessed that “Cuba looks like it’s ready to fall” and “has no income” now that Venezuelan subsidies have ended, signaling the communist regime’s precarious position.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel desperately condemned the U.S. operation as “terrorist acts,” revealing the panic within Cuba’s leadership as their primary economic support vanishes. The operation also resulted in dozens of Cuban security personnel being killed while protecting Maduro, further weakening Cuba’s regional influence.
Trump’s ultimatum demanding Cuba “make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE” puts maximum pressure on a regime facing energy shortages and economic collapse. This represents exactly the kind of America First foreign policy that prioritizes our national security over accommodating hostile communist governments.
The Cuban regime must now choose between continued defiance, leading to further isolation, or negotiating from a position of severe weakness with an American president who backs up his words with decisive action.
Sources:
With Cuban ally Maduro ousted, Trump warns Havana to make a ‘deal’ before it’s too late
Cuba ‘ready to fall’ after Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro’s ousting, Donald Trump says
Trump tells Cuba to make a ‘deal’ before it’s too late after Maduro ouster
