US President Donald Trump has said that Washington is holding talks with Cuba’s top leadership to reach a possible agreement. He made the remarks at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, just days after threatening an effective oil blockade against Cuba’s struggling economy. Trump described Cuba as a failed state and suggested that the absence of Venezuelan support has left Havana vulnerable, though he did not disclose details of the proposed deal.

Since the US-led operation on January 3 that removed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, the Trump administration has intensified pressure on the communist-ruled island. Venezuela had been a key ally and oil supplier to Cuba. Last Thursday, Trump signed an executive order threatening additional tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba, which led to long queues at Havana’s fuel stations the following day.

Meanwhile, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum announced plans to send humanitarian aid, including food and other goods, to Cuba and to pursue diplomatic efforts to maintain oil shipments. The Cuban government accused Trump of trying to economically strangle the island as power outages and fuel shortages worsened.