Venezuela, whose President was recently toppled in a U.S. military operation, on Friday (January 30, 2026) slammed Washington’s “punitive measures” against its struggling ally Cuba, after threats of tariffs on countries giving it oil. A tariff order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday (January 29, 2026) amounted to “punitive measures on countries that decide to maintain legitimate trade relations with the Republic of Cuba,” the Foreign Ministry in Caracas said. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel denounced attempts by a “fascist, criminal and genocidal” U.S. cabal to “suffocate” Cuba. Until recently, the Cuban economy spluttered by on cheap supplies of Venezuelan oil. “NO MORE OIL OR MONEY FOR CUBA: ZERO!” he stated, claiming Cuba was “ready to fall.”

Source: The Hindu January 31, 2026 06:02 UTC