Ricardo Pascoe, who served as Mexico's ambassador to Cuba from 2000 to 2002, has asserted that President Claudia Sheinbaum is heavily influenced by a group of Cuban advisors. According to him, this group plays a pivotal role in shaping the close cooperation with the Cuban regime.
"Sheinbaum is surrounded by Cuban advisors at the National Palace, and they are undoubtedly exerting pressure, becoming a key factor in Mexico's ideological shift towards Cuba," Pascoe stated during an interview with Mega Noticias.
He highlighted that Mexico, through its financially troubled company Pemex, is the primary supplier of gasoline to the island. "Pemex, currently in absolute bankruptcy, is the company that is financing the Cuban economy at this moment," he added.
Pascoe expressed concerns over this "highly sensitive geopolitical situation" that jeopardizes Mexico's relationship with the United States, its main trade partner. "This completely contaminates negotiations and alters the terms of our relationship with the U.S., putting us at risk with our most significant commercial partner," he emphasized.
He explained the complexities, noting, "Cuba always had a credit line with Mexico, which was used to pay part of the oil we sent them. However, Cuba would return a portion of the credit along with its interest, allowing Mexico to lend money again."
Pascoe also mentioned that during Enrique Peña Nieto's presidency, Cuba's debt was essentially written off, as they had ceased payments. Under López Obrador's tenure, it has mostly been donations, and with Sheinbaum, it's more of the same.
Recently, the tanker Ocean Mariner arrived in Havana's bay with nearly 86,000 barrels of fuel from Mexico, aimed at alleviating the island's persistent power outages. Sources from the University of Texas's Energy Institute confirmed to EFE that the Liberia-flagged vessel reached the Cuban capital after departing from Pemex's Pajaritos complex in southern Mexico the previous month.
Following Maduro's decline, Mexico has emerged as the primary oil supplier to Havana's regime.
On Monday, Sheinbaum reiterated her commitment to strengthening collaboration and coordination with the United States, emphasizing that the country's sovereignty and independence are non-negotiable. This statement followed threats from then-U.S. President Donald Trump to launch ground attacks on Mexican drug cartels.
"We must collaborate and coordinate with the United States as neighbors. However, sovereignty and independence are non-negotiable," Sheinbaum declared over the weekend during a visit to Guerrero, as reported by international news agencies.
The leader instructed Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente to engage with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and, if necessary, President Trump to "strengthen coordination" under the security agreement between the two nations, as she revealed during her Friday morning press conference.
Sheinbaum's remarks came after Trump, in a Thursday night interview with Fox News, announced plans to initiate ground operations against drug cartels, accusing them of "killing 250,000 or 300,000 people" annually in the U.S.
Impact of Cuban Influence on Mexico's Foreign Policy
Why is Ricardo Pascoe concerned about Cuban advisors in Mexico?
Ricardo Pascoe is concerned because he believes Cuban advisors are influencing Mexico's ideological shift towards Cuba, which could jeopardize Mexico's relationship with the United States, its most important trade partner.
What role does Pemex play in Mexico-Cuba relations?
Pemex is the primary supplier of gasoline to Cuba, despite its financial struggles. This support is crucial for the Cuban economy, especially amidst prolonged power outages on the island.