Claudia Sheinbaum announced Sunday that Mexico plans to send humanitarian aid, including food and essential supplies, to Cuba this week amid growing pressure from Donald Trump to suspend oil shipments to the Caribbean nation.

Sheinbaum made the announcement at a public event in the northern state of Sonora, assuring supporters that aid efforts are intended to help the Cuban people through a challenging period. She emphasized that diplomatic channels are being used to address issues related to oil deliveries, which Mexico and Cuba have described on humanitarian grounds.

Trump earlier said he asked Sheinbaum not to send oil to Cuba, part of a broader move by his administration that includes threats of tariffs on countries supplying oil to the island nation. Mexico’s position has been complicated by U.S. sanctions and the island’s severe fuel shortages following a drop in Venezuelan oil exports after the U.S. military operation that ousted Nicolás Maduro in early January.

In recent years, Mexican crude oil from state-owned Pemex became a critical energy lifeline for Cuba — especially as shipments from Venezuela waned. According to industry reports, Pemex shipped nearly 20,000 barrels of oil per day to Cuba from January through September 2025.

Sheinbaum reiterated that Mexican decisions about oil are sovereign and that her government seeks to avoid a humanitarian crisis on the island. She stressed that oil shipments have been framed as part of a broader humanitarian and diplomatic approach rather than confrontation.

The planned humanitarian aid — reportedly to include food and other basic goods — is intended to help mitigate hardships faced by ordinary Cubans as fuel shortages contribute to power outages and economic strain. It reflects Mexico’s long-standing position of showing solidarity with Cuba, even as Washington intensifies pressure through sanctions and threats of trade penalties.

Sheinbaum’s comments come amid a broader debate within her government about balancing relations with the United States and maintaining support for Cuba. Officials have said they are reviewing how to continue or modify oil shipments without triggering retaliation, especially in light of looming trade negotiations under the USMCA agreement and other geopolitical tensions.