KEY POINTS
- Mexico sent 400,000 barrels of oil to Cuba.
- The Vilma tanker aids Cuba’s energy recovery.
- Cuba negotiates aid with Mexico and Venezuela.
Shipping data showed that a tanker carrying about 400,000 barrels of oil departed from Mexico’s Pajaritos port on Monday and was en route to Cuba, as the island grapples with a severe energy crisis.
Mexico increases oil support to aid Cuba
Cuba has kept schools closed and non-essential workers home in recent days to recover from a partial power grid collapse, worsened by a recent hurricane. The Cuba-flagged tanker Vilma, set to arrive later this week, has been dedicated to Mexico-Cuba routes this year, according to data from financial firm LSEG.
Since last year, Mexico has supplied Cuba with crude oil and fuel to supplement shipments from Venezuela, Cuba’s main oil provider. Mexico’s previous oil cargo, sent in mid-September, was delivered to a port servicing the Cienfuegos refinery, LSEG data showed.
From January to September, Mexico provided Cuba with about 20,000 barrels per day of Olmeca crude, primarily arriving at Cienfuegos. In 2023, Mexico’s oil exports to Cuba averaged around 16,000 barrels per day, including both crude and refined products. These shipments are supplied by a subsidiary of Mexico’s state-owned oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex), which has stated to the Securities and Exchange Commission that contracts are peso-denominated and valued at market prices. Pemex did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Cuba negotiates aid with Mexico and Venezuela
According to Reuters, Cuba’s ambassador to Mexico, Marcos Rodriguez, said Monday the U.S. embargo has cost Cuba about $5 billion over the past year, calling the policy “cruel” and attributing it to the country’s grid issues. Rodriguez declined to comment on planned oil shipments but noted that Cuba is negotiating energy assistance with Mexico, Venezuela, and Colombia.
Former Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador extended support to Cuba through oil shipments, a policy President Claudia Sheinbaum has indicated she will continue. Meanwhile, Hurricane Oscar further complicated Cuba’s already fragile electrical grid, which has stabilized somewhat, though officials warned of ongoing outages.
