Mexico Seeks Private Intermediaries to Supply Cuba with Pemex Fuel
Mexico's government is in talks with private companies to channel Pemex fuel to Cuba, which has faced severe energy shortages since January.
| Sectors | Oil, Transport & Storage |
|---|---|
| Themes | Policy & Geopolitics, Energy Security |
| Companies | Petróleos Mexicanos |
| Countries | Mexico, Cuba, United States, Venezuela, Russia |
The Mexican government is in talks with several private companies to enable them to purchase fuel from Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) and resell it to private Cuban entities. President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed Monday the existence of these discussions at a press conference, noting that "several companies, not just one" had expressed interest.
Cuba Without Oil Imports Since January 9
The island, home to nearly 10 million inhabitants, has received no oil deliveries since January 9, the date Mexico made its last shipment before halting fuel supplies under pressure from the White House. The resulting energy shortages have been described as severe. The question of Russian crude — whose global flows were already being reconfigured, as illustrated by Philippine refinery Petron's purchase of 2.48 million barrels — was briefly raised by Washington before being ruled out for Cuba.
These negotiations take place against a backdrop of contradictory signals from Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that a Russian tanker arriving in Cuba would be of "no importance" and that he had no problem with it, "whether it's Russia or not." The U.S. government nonetheless clarified on March 19 that Russian hydrocarbons — whose sanctions had since been partially eased — still could not be delivered to Cuba or North Korea.
The Loss of Venezuelan Support Amplifies the Crisis
Cuba had already lost its main regional supplier in January, when U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Caracas had been supplying the bulk of the island's fuel needs for 25 years. The combination of the end of Mexican deliveries and the neutralization of the Caracas-Havana axis has left Cuba in an unprecedented state of energy isolation, the resolution of which depends in part on how much leeway Washington will allow commercial intermediaries.
