On October 14, 2025, Elián González, the Cuban congressman whose childhood rescue and repatriation captivated the world at the turn of the millennium, resurfaced on the international stage with a fiery speech in Mexico. At the IX Continental Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba, González pointed a direct finger at the United States, holding it responsible for the economic, political, and social turmoil gripping the island nation. His remarks, echoing the rhetoric of the Cuban government, have reignited debate over the roots of Cuba’s crisis and the international response to its plight.
The event, held in Mexico and attended by delegations from across Latin America, activists, and figures aligned with Havana’s regime, showcased a familiar narrative: the U.S. embargo, González insisted, is the chief barrier to Cuba’s progress. “The economic blockade imposed by the United States is the main obstacle to the development of the Cuban nation,” González declared, according to coverage by multiple Latin American outlets. He went on to accuse Washington of consistently tightening sanctions whenever Cuba sought a solution to its mounting problems, telling the audience, “Every time we look for a solution to a problem, we get another new measure. They look for ways to block the entry of a resource and hinder our development.”
González, who now represents the municipality of Cárdenas in Matanzas, did not mince words in his criticism of former U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, labeling them “enemies of the Cuban people” for their roles in intensifying sanctions and maintaining Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. “The damage caused by these decisions not only affects the government, but also the Cuban families who suffer the consequences of the blockade,” he said. González further argued that the restrictions have an “extraterritorial nature that also punishes companies and countries that try to cooperate with Cuba.”
His speech was delivered in the presence of notable figures such as the Cuban ambassador to Mexico, Marcos Rodríguez Costa, and Aleida Guevara, the daughter of Che Guevara. Both used the occasion to call for stronger regional solidarity in the face of what they described as “imperialist aggression.” The meeting’s organizers went so far as to call the U.S. embargo an act of “economic warfare,” with repercussions not just for Cuba but for any country daring to maintain economic or diplomatic ties with the island.
González’s appearance in Mexico was more than a political statement—it was a powerful symbol. Once a child at the center of a bitter tug-of-war between Cuban exiles and the Castro regime, González now stands as a vocal defender of the very system that fought for his return. His story, as noted by El Universal and other regional media, has become a touchstone for the Cuban government, which presents him as a model of “loyalty and resistance” in the face of external threats. “His example continues to guide new generations,” González said of the late Fidel Castro, reinforcing the message of revolutionary continuity.
Yet, not everyone is convinced. While Cuban state media hailed González’s speech as a demonstration of patriotic commitment, critics in the Cuban diaspora and opposition figures on the island were quick to point out what they see as glaring omissions. According to exiles quoted in El Nuevo Herald, González’s remarks fail to acknowledge the internal failings—corruption, lack of political freedoms, rigid state control of the economy, and a mass exodus of citizens—that have contributed to Cuba’s woes. “Elián was a victim of political manipulation since his childhood, and today he repeats the same rhetoric that was instilled in him,” one exile argued. Others highlighted that, despite blaming the U.S., shortages of food and medicine and frequent blackouts are daily realities for Cubans.
The timing of González’s speech is significant. Cuba is currently enduring one of its most severe crises in six decades. Inflation is rampant, energy prices have collapsed, and the tourism sector—once a vital source of hard currency—has all but dried up. Perhaps most telling is the scale of the migratory exodus: more than 500,000 Cubans have arrived in the United States since 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, a figure surpassing even the Mariel boatlift of 1980.
Amid this turmoil, the Cuban government, led by President Miguel Díaz-Canel, continues to insist that lifting the U.S. embargo is a prerequisite for economic recovery. Washington, for its part, maintains that meaningful reforms must begin within the Cuban system itself before any easing of sanctions can be considered. The gulf between these positions remains as wide as ever.
Meanwhile, a new player has emerged in the region’s geopolitical chessboard: Mexico. According to a recent report by Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity, Mexico may have supplanted Venezuela as Cuba’s principal economic lifeline, sending as much as $3 billion worth of oil between May and August 2025. The report, based on Mexican customs data and export tracking websites, alleges that Mexican state oil company Pemex declared 58 shipments of crude oil, gasoline, and other products to Cuba through its subsidiary Gasolinas Bienestar. The Cuban importer listed in most transactions is Coreydan, a company tied to the Cuban state oil firm CUPET.
If accurate, these figures would mean that, in just four months, Mexico sent three times more oil to Cuba than Pemex reported in a year and a half from mid-2023 through 2024. However, Pemex’s own disclosures to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for the first half of 2025 report much lower exports—about $300 million, with no public data for July and August. Pemex, which is required to report to the SEC due to its bond sales in the U.S., did not respond to requests for comment.
Energy sector expert Jorge Piñón, from the University of Texas’s Austin Energy Institute, expressed skepticism about the high numbers cited by the anti-corruption group. He pointed out that Cuba lacks the storage capacity for such a large volume of oil and questioned, “Where is that oil? Is Cuba exporting that oil?”—a query that resonates amid Cuba’s ongoing energy crisis and daily blackouts.
The oil shipments, some of which reportedly departed from Veracruz, Mexico, included the use of the Cuban tanker Sandino, which has been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury since 2019. This raises additional legal and diplomatic questions, as businesses dealing with sanctioned entities risk fines and further sanctions themselves.
Mexico’s support for Cuba does not end with oil. The Mexican government has also hired about 800 Cuban doctors through official state missions, providing Havana with an estimated $109 million in revenue between 2022 and 2025. These moves have drawn scrutiny from U.S. officials, especially as Washington has recently revoked the visas of dozens of Mexican officials. While the State Department has not explicitly linked these revocations to Cuba-related activities, the timing has not gone unnoticed. “Visas are a privilege, not a right,” a senior State Department official told the Miami Herald, emphasizing that revocations can occur for a range of reasons, including violations of U.S. law or actions contrary to national interests.
The Sheinbaum administration in Mexico has so far managed to balance its deepening ties with Cuba against the backdrop of an often tense relationship with Washington. The Trump administration, according to U.S. officials, continues to value cooperation with Mexico on key regional issues such as immigration and security, even as new sources of friction arise.
As Cuba’s crisis deepens and the international debate over responsibility and solutions intensifies, figures like Elián González and the shifting alliances in the region remind the world that the story of Cuba is far from settled. The interplay of loyalty, political symbolism, and hard economic realities continues to shape the island’s future, leaving Cubans and their neighbors to grapple with the consequences.