Maduro captured by US military forces in Venezuela, Cuba economy threatened

The US navy operation to arrest and take away the Venezuelan chief Nicolas Maduro of energy might put strain on Cuba’s financial system because the communist nation reels from the lack of a key financial and safety companion.

Maduro was captured alongside together with his spouse this weekend after President Donald Trump ordered the operation to take the couple into custody on costs of a narco-terrorist conspiracy.

Maduro’s ouster threatens to disrupt an financial partnership solid by his predecessor Hugo Chávez, who succeeded Maduro in 2013.

Venezuela began beneath the Chávez regime supporting the Cuban financial system with closely sponsored oil in 1999, when he described the financial partnership as one thing that positioned the 2 nations “in a sea of ​​happiness.”

AFTER Maduro, Venezuela faces tough selections to rebuild its devastated financial system

Folks stroll alongside a avenue in Caracas on January 4, 2026, a day after Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro was captured by US forces. (Federico Parra/AFP through Getty Pictures)

Whereas the Cuban authorities despatched medical doctors to offer well being care in Venezuela, it additionally despatched safety and counterintelligence personnel to assist defend the Chávez regime from these searching for to overthrow it.

Nonetheless, in return for these companies, Venezuela despatched 100,000 barrels of oil per day to Cuba The Wall Street Journal reported that these volumes fell to round 30,000 barrels per day because of the US crackdown on sanctioned Venezuelan oil.

The Trump administration tried to dam these shipments, and the US seized two oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela in December, amid a blockade launched to stem the move of sanctioned oil tankers. Venezuelan oil.

US NOW CONTROLS VENEZUELA’S OIL RESERVES, THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD: GRAPH

Venezuela’s oil exports have helped assist the Cuban financial system beneath the communist regime in latest many years. (Bloomberg/Getty Pictures)

Knowledge from the Worldwide Vitality Company (IEA) reveals that Cuba is a web importer of power for greater than many years, as web power imports represented 66.1% of Cuba’s complete power provide in 2023.

The Cuban financial system has struggled with inhabitants emigration, meals shortages and energy outages on account of an unreliable power community.

In line with Havana-based demographer Juan Carlos Albizu-Campos, The Journal reported that a few quarter of Cuba’s inhabitants, greater than 2.7 million individuals, have left the island since 2020.

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Classic vehicles drive on the road in Havana, the capital of Cuba, on October 29, 2025. (Joaquin Hernandez/Xinhua through Getty Pictures)

Trump advised reporters throughout a gathering aboard Air Pressure One which he believes Cuba is on the point of collapse after being requested if he’s contemplating U.S. motion in opposition to the Cuban authorities.

“I feel it is simply going to fall. I do not assume we want any motion. It appears to be like like it should fall. It should go down,” Trump mentioned.

TRUMP SAYS CUBA ‘READY TO FALL’ AFTER REPLACING VENEZUELA’S MADURO

The US has seized two sanctioned oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela. (Stefan Sauer/Photograph Alliance through Getty Pictures)

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U.S. officers say Cuban safety forces have performed a central position in holding Maduro in energy. State Secretary Marco Rubio mentioned Cuban brokers successfully directed Venezuela’s inner intelligence and safety operations — together with personally guarding Maduro and monitoring loyalty inside his authorities.

The Cuban authorities mentioned on Sunday that 32 Cuban troopers and law enforcement officials had been killed in the course of the US operation in Venezuela. Cuban state media mentioned the officers had been deployed on the request of Maduro’s authorities.

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Trump confirmed the Cuban casualties, saying that “a whole lot of Cubans had been killed” and that there have been “a whole lot of deaths on the opposite aspect. No deaths on our aspect.”

Bradford Betz of Fox Information Digital contributed to this report.