It is no secret that Cuba’s political regime has survived for years largely thanks to external support from various countries with which it has shared certain ideological affinities. Following the arrest of Nicolás Maduro by US authorities in Venezuela, Cuba lost one of its main allies in the Latin American region, one of the few it had left.
It is worth highlighting the loss of credibility suffered by “progressive” governments in countries like Argentina, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Chile, among others, which during the first decade of the 21st century possessed a leftist bent, but that era has ended. They were allies of Hugo Chávez and also, directly or indirectly, of Castro-communism.
Now, amidst the political and social turmoil in Cuba, given its weakened relationship with Venezuela and the apparent rise of the left in Mexico, the question arises: could Mexico replace Venezuela in providing economic support to the Caribbean island? This question does not have an easy answer; What is striking is the increase in aid sent from this country to the island.
Historically, the so-called Cuban Revolution has never been economically independent. The reasons for this dependence are many. The official explanation is the economic embargo imposed on the island. This narrative has served the regime not only to gain legitimacy in the eyes of the people and establish a hegemony based not only on violence, but also on victimization. This latter aspect has led the Cuban regime to receive numerous lucrative “economic cooperation agreements” over time.
The official explanation is the economic embargo imposed on the island. This narrative has served the regime not only to gain legitimacy in the eyes of the people and establish a hegemony based not only on violence, but also on victimization.
First, it received support from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Once the government collapsed, the Castro regime announced the “Special Period,” which began in the early 1990s and ended in the late 1990s. Although many believe Cuba never fully overcame the crisis, substantial improvements were seen for a time.
In 1998, when an insurgent, coup-plotting, and amnestied military officer won the presidency of Venezuela, the country with the world’s largest oil reserves, the Castro regime was delighted. In Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías, Fidel found more than an ally; he was an idolater of his figure and his project. It is said that Fidel had already targeted him since the failed 1992 coup in Venezuela, when Chávez was released from prison after receiving a presidential pardon. According to the press at the time, he immediately traveled to Havana on December 13, 1994, and was received with presidential honors, even though he wasn’t even a candidate. From then on, a friendly relationship was forged, though also one of obedience and loyalty, like that often formed between an apprentice and their master. It was equally strategic: Chávez provided resources, and Fidel taught him doctrine and techniques of social oppression, along with strategies for military control, security, and other things that helped establish the 27 years of authoritarianism that Venezuela still endures.
The close relationship and interference of the Havana regime in Caracas were exposed to the public when it became known that the first ring of security protecting Maduro and his wife was composed of Cuban agents. Thus, after the intervention of a world power on January 3, 2016, that relationship broke down.
The economic tutelage of the United States and a new era of dictatorship in Venezuela, this time endorsed by Washington, have prevented Delcy Rodríguez, now president, from continuing to send barrels of oil to the island. They haven’t been able to do it even secretly, although they’ve tried; some ships have been detained by U.S. forces.
This situation has had visible side effects in Cuba, ranging from disruptions to public transportation due to fuel shortages and longer power outages to the beginning of a health crisis caused by inadequate garbage collection.
According to journalist Yoani Sánchez, who reports on Cuba through her Facebook and Instagram accounts, this situation has also led to a setback and deterioration of the fragile economic opening the island had experienced after allowing private investment in certain sectors, as the prolonged blackouts have jeopardized small markets, restaurants, and barbershops, among others. However, it’s not that the economic support provided by Venezuela brought about a boom in Cuba; no, it simply meant that the situation for the average Cuban was less dire.
Despite the current situation, it must be said that after Nicolás Maduro’s arrest, Cuba was not left entirely alone: it has received humanitarian aid from various countries. A brief online search revealed that, after January 3, the island received approximately one million dollars from Chile through UNICEF, earmarked for food and child nutrition programs. Sources such as El País indicate that Russia sent 200,000 barrels of diesel to mitigate the effects of the Venezuelan fuel supply disruption. The same publication reports that several countries joined together to send a convoy with at least five tons of medical supplies on March 18, and another arrived in Cuba on March 21. At least 19 delegations from various countries in Europe and other parts of the world are participating in this effort.
The country that has contributed the most to Cuba in the last six weeks is Mexico, which has sent some 814 tons of goods, including food, medicine, and personal hygiene items. Mexico is planning to send 1,500 tons of humanitarian aid; including the 814 tons already sent, it still needs to send 686.
Other media outlets indicate that countries like the United States even offered six million dollars, to be channeled through the Catholic Church, but the Cuban government rejected the offer, considering it “aid with political aims.”
Without a doubt, the country that has contributed the most to Cuba in the past month and a half is Mexico, which has sent some 814 tons of goods, including food, medicine, and personal hygiene items. Mexico is planning to send 1,500 tons of humanitarian aid; including the 814 tons already sent, it still needs to send 686, according to the EFE news agency. However, other media outlets, such as El Economista, report that by February 26, two ships carrying at least 1,393 tons of supplies as part of humanitarian aid to Cuba had departed from the Port of Veracruz. These supplies included grains, dairy products, and other items.
This does not include the increase in oil barrels sent to Cuba by Pemex’s subsidiary “Gasolinas del Bienestar” in 2025, which reached 17.25 million barrels of oil distributed across 65 shipments and 245.9 million liters of processed fuel, according to the civil organization Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity (MCCI). MCCI notes that, following criticism from the U.S. government and the looming threat of tariffs, Mexico reduced the volume and frequency of shipments. Thus far in 2026, approximately 81,800 barrels of diesel have been sent in a single shipment.
In addition, both the governments of Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Claudia Sheinbaum have maintained agreements to receive Cuban medical personnel, as Venezuela did for many years. Claudia Sheinbaum’s government has been tight-lipped and secretive on the matter, so the future implications of this relationship, which existed between the two countries before Morena came to power, now appear to be strengthening, are unknown.
Source: revistareplicante
