“We are not sending more oil than has been sent historically. There is no particular shipment. Oil has been sent to Cuba for many years for various reasons. Some are contracts, others are humanitarian aid,” the president stated.

In response to a question about media reports regarding an alleged increase in these shipments, the head of the Executive Branch recalled that even during the administration of former President Enrique Peña Nieto (2012-2018), a debt owed to the island was forgiven.

“So, this is a historic shipment to the island and the Cuban people, and it is now part of both the contract and the humanitarian aid,” the president stated, adding that, “with the current situation in Venezuela, Mexico has clearly become an important supplier.”

Sheinbaum highlighted the historic ties between her country and Cuba on December 22.

“The Mexico-Cuba relationship is historic. Mexico was the only country that initially opposed the blockade (imposed by the United States). So, regardless of the political party, there has always been a Mexico-Cuba relationship,” she emphasized.

In this way, the head of the Executive Branch responded to a question about the oil shipment to that nation, which has been besieged for more than 60 years by an economic, commercial, and financial embargo imposed by Washington, which, according to experts, constitutes the main obstacle to the island’s development.

In mentioning energy cooperation and the decades-long visits between Cuban and Mexican leaders, regardless of the political affiliation of the presidents in this North American nation, Sheinbaum emphasized that the ties with the Caribbean nation are not new.

“This is not a new situation, and everything is done within the framework of the law and also for humanitarian reasons, for the benefit of the Cuban people,” she noted, reiterating Mexico’s sovereignty and mentioning the continuation of a series of support programs that her nation has historically provided to Cuba.

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