Mexico Defends Cuba Oil Shipments as Humanitarian Aid

After headlines suggested Mexico had suspended oil shipments to Cuba, President Claudia Sheinbaum stepped in once again to clarify what actually happened.

Sheinbaum explained that oil from Mexico reaches Cuba through two paths: contracts managed by state-owned oil corporation Pemex, and humanitarian aid decided directly by the Mexican government. Neither, she said, has been halted.

The confusion comes at a critical moment for Cuba, as U.S. sanctions tighten and fuel shortages deepen. Sheinbaum emphasized again that humanitarian aid is a sovereign decision and will continue.

TRANSCRIPT

“Regarding the shipment of oil to Cuba, you mentioned yesterday that it was a sovereign decision, a decision by Petróleos Mexicanos, but the timing of when this shipment was allegedly suspended has drawn attention, precisely at a moment when the Cuban people would need it more than ever,” said Ricardo Pérez, a journalist with Diario Red América Latina. “This is due to what is happening with Venezuela, which was one of the main oil suppliers, and also because of the immense need for fuel among the Cuban people, since it is indispensable for electricity generation and in the context of the blockade,” he added. “So I want to ask why, at this moment, and whether there should also be political sensitivity on the part of Petróleos Mexicanos in making this decision at such a time,” Pérez continued.

“I’m glad you asked so that I can clarify what was said yesterday,” explained Claudia Sheinbaum, President of Mexico. “There are two channels through which oil is delivered to Cuba. One is through contracts that Petróleos Mexicanos establishes with an institution of the Cuban government. That is one channel, and under that contract, Pemex determines, according to its terms, when shipments are made,” she said.

“The other channel is humanitarian aid, through which oil is also sent, just as other items are sent as humanitarian aid,” the Mexican leader continued. “For example, the United States recently sent humanitarian aid to the island, and other countries have also sent humanitarian aid to Cuba. That is why I say it is a sovereign decision of Mexico to send humanitarian aid, and in the case of Pemex, shipments are determined by the terms of the contract,” she added.

“I never said that it had been suspended. It had not been suspended,” Sheinbaum clarified. “That was a later interpretation based on a report that appeared in a newspaper. Therefore, humanitarian aid to Cuba, as to other countries, continues, because it is humanitarian aid, and Mexico has always been in solidarity with the entire world. These are sovereign decisions,” she emphasized.

“Will the shipment of crude oil continue in terms of humanitarian aid?” Pérez asked.

“Well, that is something we have to determine based on the requests that are received,” the president concluded.