the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
February 2, 2026
Trump threatened to impose increased tariffs on countries selling oil to Cuba, declaring a “national emergency” due to the “unusual and extraordinary threat” posed by Cuba. He claims Cuba allows Russia to spy on the U.S. and is friendly to hostile nations like Iran and terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
Cuba’s access to badly needed oil has already been drastically cut after the U.S. attack on Venezuela, which then stopped all oil shipments to Cuba. Venezuela was shipping about 50,000 barrels of oil per day to Cuba, about half of what it needs. Even before Trump’s latest threats, Mexico was shipping much less, only 20,000 barrels per day.
These cuts to Cuba’s access to oil have already led to its worst economic crisis ever and could lead to a complete economic collapse and a worsening humanitarian crisis there. The country and its people have already experienced long power blackouts, and hours-long lines to purchase gasoline for their cars.
Mexico’s president Claudia Sheinbaum appears to be attempting to toe a fine line, agreeing to cut her country’s shipments, while reserving the right to supply oil to Cuba on a humanitarian basis. Mexico appears to have already reduced their shipments of oil to Cuba even further, to just about 7,000 barrels a day. Some reports suggest Cuba’s current oil supply could last no more than a few weeks.
Trump’s claim that Cuba represents a threat to the U.S. is a complete joke! It’s a tiny island nation weakened economically by an economic embargo by the U.S. and other wealthy nations in place since the 1960s. The attacks against Cuba by the U.S. obviously long predate Trump, but it appears Trump is looking to completely strangle the Cuban regime and to replace it with one ready to bow to U.S. economic interests.
Neither Trump nor those who’ve gone before him have carried out their attacks on Cuba out of concern for the interests of American or Cuban workers. While the Cuban revolution certainly had its limits for the Cuban working class, its example has always been a thorn in the side of the wealthy American ruling class. It’s that class for which Trump now appears ready to finish the job. American workers have no interest in supporting his efforts.