By El Latino Newsroom
redaccion@latinocc.com
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Sunday that her government will send a new round of humanitarian aid to Cuba this week, including food and essential supplies, despite growing pressure from the United States to stop oil shipments to the Caribbean nation.
The announcement comes days after U.S. President Donald Trump stated he had asked Sheinbaum to halt oil exports to Cuba. However, Sheinbaum clarified during a public event in Sonora that the issue was not discussed in her recent phone call with Trump.
“Our government is seeking diplomatic solutions regarding oil shipments, always with humanitarian intentions,” she said.
Since the U.S.-led military operation in January that removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power, Cuba has lost a key energy partner. Venezuela had been sending oil to the island for years, but those shipments have now stopped, prompting Mexico to become Cuba’s main supplier.
According to Mexican state oil company Pemex, nearly 20,000 barrels of crude oil per day were shipped to Cuba between January and September 2025. More recent satellite data suggests that number has dropped to around 7,000 barrels, as reported by Jorge Piñon of the University of Texas Energy Institute.
The Sheinbaum administration insists that the shipments are part of Mexico’s long-standing humanitarian assistance policy.
“We’re responding to a humanitarian need,” Sheinbaum said. “Cuba is facing extreme shortages, and this is about people, not politics.”
While Washington voices concern over continued oil flows to Havana, Sheinbaum’s decision underscores Mexico’s effort to maintain an independent foreign policy — especially in matters of regional solidarity and humanitarian crisis response.
ARGENTINA
Towering smoke and roaring flames now dominate the skies above Argentina’s Patagonia, where devastating wildfires have scorched over 110,000 acres (45,000 hectares) of native forest — including swaths of Los Alerces National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site famed for its ancient, 2,600-year-old alerce trees.
The infernos, among the worst the region has seen in decades, have forced thousands of evacuations and continue to spread, with much of Argentina’s peak fire season still ahead.
What was once a lush, pristine destination for global adventurers has turned into a fiery battleground. Mushroom clouds of smoke rise like explosions, while night skies glow orange from flames licking at the forest canopy.
Park rangers and firefighters on the ground say the situation has spiraled due to deep budget cuts ordered by President Javier Milei.
His government slashed funding to the National Fire Management Service by 80% in 2024 and plans a further 71% cut this year, according to the Argentine environmental group FARN.
“There has been a political decision to dismantle firefighting institutions. Teams are stretched beyond their limits,” said Luis Schinelli, one of just 16 rangers patrolling the vast 642,000-acre park.
Hernán Mondino, a firefighter working in Los Alerces, said crews are overwhelmed and under-equipped.
“Climate change is undeniable. This is us living it,” he said, his face covered in sweat and ash.
“But we see no sign that the government is concerned about our situation.”
The Milei administration, which took office pledging to fix Argentina’s debt-laden economy, has prioritized austerity, stabilizing inflation but gutting public services.
The Ministry of Environment was downgraded, and firefighting oversight moved to the Ministry of Security, which has not commented on the crisis.
Milei’s ideological stance on climate change has added fuel to the public’s frustration.
The libertarian president has referred to climate change as a “socialist lie,” boycotted international climate summits, and hinted at following former U.S. President Donald Trump’s lead in withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement.
While the government touts economic stabilization, inflation dropped from 117% in 2024 to 31% last year, the toll on Argentina’s environmental protection systems has been severe.
Many residents in the affected region are taking matters into their own hands. In the small town of Cholila, where official brigades were sent elsewhere, locals jumped into pickup trucks to help fight encroaching fires.
“There’s a lot of anger building up. People here are very uncomfortable with our country’s politics. We’re being left to defend our homes alone,” said Lucas Panak, a 41-year-old volunteer firefighter.
As climate change brings more frequent and intense heatwaves and droughts to South America, critics warn that gutting emergency services could have deadly consequences.
The fires have also sparked wider political debate in Argentina, where citizens are asking whether economic reform should come at the cost of safety, public health, and environmental stewardship.
For now, as Patagonia continues to burn, the spotlight is once again on President Milei, not just for his economic policies, but for what many see as a failure to confront the environmental emergencies exacerbated by them.
VENEZUELA
A month after a dramatic U.S. military operation resulted in the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, life in Venezuela remains clouded by uncertainty, fear and cautious optimism.
Civilians and families across the country say they still struggle to understand what has changed, or what will change, in their daily lives.
In the capital, government-sponsored billboards and graffiti still urge the United States to free Maduro, reflecting both state messaging and grass-roots sentiment among supporters of the once-dominant socialist government.
Yet for many ordinary Venezuelans, the narrative is not as straightforward.
Some residents question whether Delcy Rodríguez, sworn in as acting president in Maduro’s absence, truly leads independently or is effectively influenced by Washington’s growing role in Venezuelan affairs.
“It’s an important change, certainly, but everything is the same, everything,” said Julio Castillo, a 74-year-old retiree, echoing the frustration of many who see little immediate improvement in their lives since Maduro’s removal.
Daily hardship, including shortages of basic goods and stagnant wages, remains a stark reality for many families.
Supporters of the former government have described Maduro’s capture as a kidnapping and a violation of international norms, while Rodríguez and other senior officials have vowed to fight for his and Flores’ release.
The rhetoric from the ruling party has shifted in recent weeks, from threatening conflict to acknowledging that Venezuela cannot militarily counter the United States and must adapt its diplomatic stance.
Among loyalty circles, Rodríguez is widely seen as constrained by circumstances.
José Vivens, a Maduro supporter, told reporters that the Venezuelan state is “acting under coercion,” pointing to her decision to allow U.S. oversight of Venezuela’s oil revenues, a critical component of the nation’s economy, as evidence of that pressure.
“They kidnapped our commander. And we have to give in because we have to live for another battle,” Vivens said.
Across Caracas, many citizens say they remain cautious about speaking openly, mindful of heightened tensions and still-powerful security forces.
A pervasive fear of further crackdowns, or even another military action, hangs over public life, blending mistrust with an uneasy hope that the political shock might eventually bring economic relief.
