Mexico and Cuba, an old friendship under the shadow of the United States

"The Mexican president's phone call, asking Castro to leave a summit of heads of state before the arrival of U.S. president George W. Bush, perfectly illustrates the dilemma that other Mexican presidents have historically faced, and which now confronts the government of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum: how to maintain good relations with both Cuba and the United States. Sheinbaum finds herself stuck in this dichotomy,"

"following U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to strangle Cuba by threatening retaliatory tariffs on countries that supply oil to the Castro regime. Mexican governments have a very particular diplomatic relationship with Cuba, shaped by historical proximity, ideological affinity, and geopolitical interest, dating back to the era of the Institutional Revolutionary Party's (PRI) iron-fisted rule."

"Mexico, which became Cuba's sole supplier after the United States' intervention in Venezuela, had to suspend fuel shipments to the island two weeks ago. Since then, Sheinbaum has been searching for rhetorical solutions to navigate the fact that her decisions are dictated by Trump, who is exerting an unprecedented level of pressure. Cuba's ties to the PRI The delicate geometry of that diplomatic triangle began to take shape at the 1962 summit of the Organization of American States (OAS), just three years after the triumph of the Cuban Revolution."

A 2002 incident in which the Mexican president asked Fidel Castro to leave a summit exemplifies Mexico's long-standing dilemma of maintaining relations with both Cuba and the United States. Current Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum faces intensified pressure after U.S. threats of retaliatory tariffs aimed at countries supplying oil to Cuba, forcing Mexico to suspend recent fuel shipments to the island. Mexican-Cuban ties were shaped by historical proximity, ideological affinity, and geopolitical interest, reinforced during the PRI era. Mexico also defended nonintervention at the 1962 OAS summit, reflecting a diplomatic principle rooted in the 1910 Revolution.

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