{"id":2569923,"date":"2026-02-14T07:52:02","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T12:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/south-american-countries-bend-to-trump-to-curb-support-for-cuba\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T07:53:31","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T12:53:31","slug":"south-american-countries-bend-to-trump-to-curb-support-for-cuba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/south-american-countries-bend-to-trump-to-curb-support-for-cuba\/","title":{"rendered":"South American countries bend to Trump to curb support for Cuba"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsouth-american-countries-bend-to-trump-to-curb-support-for-cuba%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2569923&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>An article reports that several Latin American countries are aligning with the Trump administration\u2019s Cuba policy by curbing support for the Cuban regime.Venezuela stopped oil shipments to Cuba, and Mexico followed, creating an oil blockade aimed at isolating Havana. Nicaragua tightened border measures for Cuban migrants, and Guatemala announced it would gradually end Cuban doctors working in its system. Mexico\u2019s Pemex halted oil shipments to Cuba, prompting the U.S. to consider tariffs on oil sent to Cuba, with Trump framing Cuba as a failing nation. The Cuban regime under miguel D\u00edaz-Canel faces energy blackouts that are hurting tourism, food supply, and transportation, which Havana calls a criminal and genocidal blockade. The United States has provided humanitarian aid to the Cuban people through channels outside the regime, while some lawmakers, such as Senator Marco Rubio, express support for regime change, viewing it as beneficial, though the administration characterizes such change as a distant possibility.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">South and Latin American countries bend to Trump in moves to curb support for Cuba<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2504683\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Several <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/latin-america\/\">Latin American<\/a> countries have taken steps to curb their international support for <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/cuba\/\">Cuba<\/a>, yielding to the policy priorities of President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> as his administration increases its pressure on the island&rsquo;s communist regime.<\/p>\n<p>Following the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\">Trump administration&rsquo;s<\/a> January ouster of former Venezuelan dictator <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/nicolas-maduro\/\">Nicolas Maduro<\/a>, Venezuela, Cuba&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/heres-who-is-still-buying-russian-oil-and-gas\/\" title=\"Here&#039;s Who Is Still Buying Russian ... and Gas\">largest oil supplier<\/a>, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/daily-on-energy\/4437935\/daily-on-energy-doe-revises-nuclear-safety-halting-oil-cuba-permitting-reform-senate\/\">cut off shipments<\/a> to the Caribbean island. The halt of Venezuelan oil set in motion an oil blockade to Cuba, with Mexico ultimately following suit, as the Trump administration seeks to isolate the regime.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/foreign-policy\/4458056\/europe-rubio-remarks-munich-vance-fiery-address\/\">Europe braces for Rubio remarks in Munich after Vance&#8217;s fiery address<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/foreign-policy\/4457226\/aoc-populism-munich-rules-based-order\/\">AOC &#8216;working-class perspective&#8217; on <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >foreign policy mirrors global elite<\/a> at Munich Security Conference<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/4453121\/jimmy-lais-fate-is-a-warning-for-taiwan\/\">Jimmy Lai&rsquo;s fate is a warning for Taiwan<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>In addition to the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/oil\/\">oil blockade<\/a>, several nations made additional moves this week that hit Cuba hard. Nicaragua and Guatemala, each Cuban allies, took non-oil-related measures that have amped up pressure on the Cuban regime.<\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, Nicaragua cut off a popular route for Cuban migrants to reach the United States by barring them from entering the country <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/10\/world\/americas\/nicaragua-cuba-us-immigration.html?campaign_id=346&amp;emc=edit_wor_20260211&amp;instance_id=170901&amp;nl=the-world%C2%AEi_id=251287128&amp;segment_id=215084&amp;user_id=cacf4b228705dfb5d9ecd5ab354cf678\">without a visa<\/a>. The move stands out as Nicaragua&rsquo;s leftist, authoritarian government has long been an ally of the Cuban regime, and has maintained a bad relationship with the U.S. The State Department under Secretary <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/marco-rubio\/\">Marco Rubio<\/a> has also issued several visa restrictions against <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/promoting-accountability-for-the-ortega-murillo-dictatorship\/\">Nicaraguan officials<\/a> and Nicaraguans who they said were &ldquo;knowingly <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/releases\/2025\/11\/visa-restrictions-on-individuals-in-nicaragua-facilitating-illegal-immigration-to-the-united-states\/\">facilitating illegal immigration<\/a> to the United States.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Also on Tuesday, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/guatemala\/\">Guatemala<\/a> announced it would be gradually terminating its employment of Cuban doctors through Cuba&rsquo;s overseas medical brigades. The country said it made the decision as part of a &ldquo;technical analysis&rdquo; and to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/10\/world\/americas\/guatemala-cuba-doctors.html\">bolster its own health system<\/a>, according to the <em>New York Times<\/em>. Rubio has been critical of Cuba&rsquo;s overseas medical missions and has also put visa restrictions in place related to the system.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Cuba continues to profit from the forced labor of its workers and the regime&rsquo;s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/expansion-of-visa-restrictions-policy-for-individuals-exploiting-cuban-labor\">abusive and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watchdog-group-amazon-suppliers-linked-to-forced-labor-in-china\/\" title=\"Watchdog Group: Amazon Suppliers Linked to Forced Labor in China\">coercive labor practices<\/a><\/a> are well documented. Cuba&rsquo;s labor export programs, which include the medical missions, enrich the Cuban regime, and in the case of Cuba&rsquo;s overseas medical missions, deprive ordinary Cubans of the medical care they desperately need in their home country,&rdquo; Rubio said in early 2025.<\/p>\n<p>The actions of Nicaragua and Guatemala come as the oil blockade is mounting pressure against the Cuban regime. The energy crisis in the country has made other Latin American leaders concerned about the humanitarian implications for the island.<\/p>\n<p>Mexico fell in line with the U.S. oil blockade soon after Venezuela, as Mexican President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/claudia-sheinbaum\/\">Claudia Sheinbaum<\/a> announced her country was immediately, temporarily <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4436755\/mexico-halts-oil-shipments-cuba-trump-eyes-regime-change\/\">halting its oil shipments<\/a> to Cuba in late January. Sheinbaum said it was a &ldquo;sovereign decision&rdquo; spearheaded by Mexican state oil company Pemex and was not intentionally aligned with the Trump administration&rsquo;s policies. She said that <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4436755\/mexico-halts-oil-shipments-cuba-trump-eyes-regime-change\/\">Pemex &ldquo;makes decisions<\/a> in the contractual relationship it has with Cuba.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Mexico, a long-standing Cuban ally, was one of the island&rsquo;s largest oil suppliers next to Venezuela, prior to Sheinbaum&rsquo;s announcement.<\/p>\n<p>One day after Mexico&rsquo;s announcement, Trump issued an executive order <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4440081\/trump-national-emergency-cuba-tariffs\/\">announcing a tariff system<\/a> that threatens to target any country that sends oil to Cuba. He said he was not trying to &ldquo;choke off&rdquo; Cuba, as a reporter asked, but reiterated that Cuba is a &ldquo;failing nation.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Cuba is a failing nation, and you have to feel badly for Cuba. They&rsquo;ve treated people very badly. We have a lot of Cuban Americans who really were treated very badly, and they probably like to go back. No, I&rsquo;m not trying to, but it looks like it&rsquo;s something that&rsquo;s just not going to be able to survive. I think Cuba will not be able to survive,&rdquo; Trump said.<\/p>\n<p>With increasing pressure on its energy systems, Cuba is crumbling as energy blackouts throughout the nation have significantly affected its vital <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/world\/life-in-cuba-is-grinding-to-a-halt-under-u-s-oil-blockade-c8da5b30?st=LQaxgz&amp;reflink=article_copyURL_share\">tourism industry<\/a>, food supply and prices, and public and personal transportation. Cuban leadership, under President Miguel Diaz-Canel, has called the oil blockade &ldquo;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/PresidenciaCuba\/status\/2019832015772872720?s=20\">criminal<\/a>&rdquo; and &ldquo;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/PresidenciaCuba\/status\/2020134996275580966?s=20\">genocidal<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Sheinbaum and Mexico&rsquo;s Pemex are <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/4449531\/mexico-faces-weighty-decision-trump-ultimatum-shipping-oil-cuba\/\">weighing whether <\/a>to resume a &ldquo;temporary&rdquo; oil blockade to Cuba, balancing maintaining Sheinbaum&rsquo;s working relationship with Trump and aiding its Latin neighbor amid Cuba&rsquo;s energy blackouts and worsening conditions.<\/p>\n<p>Sheinbaum, who sent <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DiazCanelB\/status\/2022144593165427179\">humanitarian aid<\/a> to Cuba that arrived on Thursday, said she is <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/mexico-promises-food-support-cuba-195734527.html\">diplomatically<\/a> attempting to restore Cuba&rsquo;s oil access through talks with the U.S., but last week said, &ldquo;Obviously, we don&rsquo;t want sanctions against Mexico.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The State Department has announced $9 million in humanitarian aid to the Cuban people over the past two months, with $6 million of that sum being announced on Feb. 5 after Trump&rsquo;s tariff announcement. The first $3 million was sent in mid-January for relief from Hurricane Melissa.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Building on the success of the recently announced partnership with the Catholic Church and Caritas, the Trump Administration is announcing an additional $6 million in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/releases\/office-of-the-spokesperson\/2026\/02\/delivering-additional-humanitarian-support-directly-to-the-cuban-people\/\">direct assistance for the Cuban people<\/a>,&rdquo; the department said in an announcement.<\/p>\n<p>Bypassing regime involvement, local parish representatives will <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/us-cuba-aid-melissa-trump-diaz-canel-636551892a2f59f43b657f1e71997b0b\">deliver pre-packaged goods <\/a>from Miami to the Cuban public. The goods include rice, beans, pasta, canned tuna, and solar lamps for power, according to the <em>Associated Press<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/4449531\/mexico-faces-weighty-decision-trump-ultimatum-shipping-oil-cuba\/\">MEXICO FACES WEIGHTY DECISION OVER TRUMP ULTIMATUM ON SHIPPING OIL TO CUBA<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The U.S. has eyed the notion of regime change in Cuba following Maduro&rsquo;s ouster. Rubio, who is the son of Cuban immigrants who fled before the communist revolution, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the administration <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4437294\/rubio-trump-administration-love-regime-change-cuba\/\">would &ldquo;love&rdquo; to see regime change<\/a> on the island.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think we would love to see the regime there change,&rdquo; Rubio said. &ldquo;That doesn&rsquo;t mean we are going to make a change, but we would love to see a change. There&rsquo;s no doubt about the fact that it would be of great benefit to the United States if Cuba was no longer governed by an autocratic regime.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Latin nations bow to Trump to curb Cuba support<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3976,"featured_media":2569924,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26016813361360.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[13954,3817,50462,38259,3634],"class_list":["post-2569923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-cuba","tag-diplomacy","tag-foreign-policy-2","tag-south-america","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26016813361360.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2569923","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3976"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2569923"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2569923\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2569927,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2569923\/revisions\/2569927"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2569924"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2569923"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2569923"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2569923"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}