President Claudia Sheinbaum on Sunday denied that she had spoken to U.S. President Donald Trump about cutting off Mexico’s oil shipments to Cuba, and announced that her government is preparing a consignment of food and other non-oil supplies for the Caribbean island nation.
Sheinbaum’s remarks in Guaymas, Sonora, came after Trump asserted on Saturday that he had told the Mexican president not to send oil to Cuba.
🛢️🇺🇸 🇲🇽🇨🇺Trump aseguró que México no está enviando petróleo a Cuba porque él mismo se lo solicitó a Sheinbaum
En una atención a medios a bordo del Air Force One habló sobre la situación de la isla y respondió que Sheinbaum dejó de enviar petróleo a Cuba a petición suya.
“La… pic.twitter.com/RBI4NvuI5p
— Laura Brugés (@LauraBruges) February 1, 2026
While speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump was asked what his response was to Sheinbaum’s claim on Friday that the United States’ application of tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba could trigger a humanitarian crisis in the island nation.
“Well, it doesn’t have to be a humanitarian crisis. I think they would probably come to us and want to make a deal,” said the U.S. president, who on Thursday issued an executive order paving the way for the United States to impose tariffs on imports from countries that supply oil to Cuba.
“So Cuba would be free again. They’ll come to us, they’ll make a deal. But Cuba, really, they’ve got a problem. … They have no money, they have no oil. … They lived off Venezuela money and oil, and none of that’s coming now. And then the president of Mexico, President Sheinbaum, was very good. I said, ‘Look, we don’t want you sending oil there,’ and she’s not sending oil there,” Trump said.
Indeed, Mexico’s state oil company, Pemex, canceled plans to send a shipment of crude to Cuba this month. However, Sheinbaum asserted that Pemex’s decision was not influenced by pressure from the United States, which is pressing for regime change on the communist-run Caribbean island.
Sheinbaum asserts she has never spoken to Trump about oil shipments to Cuba
Speaking at an event in Guaymas at which she announced a plan to expand the port in the city, Sheinbaum declared that “we never spoke with President Trump about the issue of oil with Cuba.”
The Mexican and U.S. presidents spoke by telephone on Thursday morning, just hours before Trump issued an executive order announcing the United States’ intention to impose tariffs on goods from countries that supply oil to Cuba.
After the call, Sheinbaum said that “the issue of Cuba” wasn’t discussed in her 40-minute call with the U.S. president.
On Sunday, she said that she hasn’t discussed Cuba and Mexico’s oil shipments to the country in any of the numerous telephone conversations she has had with Trump.
“When the issue was discussed was in the conversation that the Minister of Foreign Affairs [Juan Ramón de la Fuente] had with Secretary [of State] Marco Rubio [in January],” Sheinbaum said.
“… We are exploring all diplomatic avenues to be able to send fuel to the Cuban people, because this isn’t a matter between governments, but rather a matter of support to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Cuba,” she added.
“And in the meantime, we’re going to send food and other important aid to the island,” Sheinbaum said.
She said on Friday that she didn’t want to risk additional tariffs being imposed on Mexican goods, but stressed that “there are other ways to support” the people of Cuba apart from with oil, and declared that Mexico “will always show solidarity” with the island nation.
In 2025, Mexico became the top oil supplier to Cuba, an energy-strapped country that has long relied on imports to meet demand for petroleum products.
Mexican Navy to send humanitarian aid to Cuba
Sheinbaum said that the federal government, “this week,” is preparing to send a shipment of humanitarian aid to Cuba.
#AlMomento 🚨 La presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum anunció el envío de ayuda humanitaria a Cuba: “Es una ayuda que va hacer la Secretaría de Marina de alimentación y otros productos”.
La mandataria señaló que en la reciente llamada con Donald Trump no se habló del tema del envío de… pic.twitter.com/ZX7qMnIhtq
— El Universal (@El_Universal_Mx) February 1, 2026
“It’s aid that the Ministry of the Navy will provide, of food and other products,” she said.
“… We’re already doing all the work to be able to send … humanitarian aid that the people of Cuba need,” Sheinbaum said, explaining that the shipment would be made up of “essential supplies,” excluding oil.
She said that the supply of oil is a “fundamental” form of humanitarian aid for Cuba, but while Mexico can’t send crude to the island without running the risk of having additional tariffs imposed on its exports to the United States, “we’re going to send other products that are indispensable for the Cuban people.”
Mexico has supplied oil to Cuba both through Pemex contracts and as humanitarian aid.
Sheinbaum told reporters on Friday that Mexico has only sent a minimal amount of oil to Cuba, although the exact quantities shipped to the Communist-run island in recent times are disputed.
With reports from La Jornada and Reforma
