Mexico to continue to ship oil to Cuba, says Mexican president

Alsharq Tribune-Ahmed Essam 

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed Wednesday that the government will continue to ship oil to Cuba, despite pressures from the United States.

During a press conference at the National Palace, Sheinbaum stressed that the decision aligns with Mexico's historical foreign policy, and oil shipments are part of the country's sovereign decisions.

According to Sheinbaum, the shipments are carried out through contracts between the state-owned oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) and a Cuban government institution, as part of Mexico's humanitarian aid for Cuba. Pemex is responsible for determining shipments in keeping with the contracts, she added.

Sheinbaum addressed recent speculation that Mexico was bowing to U.S. pressure to halt oil shipments, which arose after a Bloomberg report suggested a January shipment was suspended.

"I never said anything about whether it had been suspended ... That was a later interpretation based on a newspaper article," the president said, denying any official decision in that regard.

While Sheinbaum reaffirmed Mexico's humanitarian commitment to Cuba, she declined to provide details on whether upcoming deliveries would include oil, noting that such decisions would depend on specific agreements between the two nations.