Cuba accused U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio of lying on Tuesday for denying that Washington is enforcing an oil blockade against the island, as Havana faces a crippling energy crisis since January. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez wrote on X that Rubio "has simply chosen to lie," contradicting White House statements, after Rubio told reporters there is "no oil blockade on Cuba, per se."

Rubio, guest-hosting the White House press briefing, said Cuba lost access to Venezuelan crude after Caracas stopped providing "free oil" that Havana resold for cash rather than using domestically. He claimed the only blockade is the Venezuelan decision to halt supplies, denying U.S. interference with third-party shipments to Cuba.

Rodriguez also condemned additional U.S. energy-sector sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump on May 1, accusing Rubio of knowing the harm inflicted on the Cuban people. Since January, U.S. forces have detained Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a Cuban ally, and Washington has threatened tariffs on nations sending crude to Cuba.

Washington has permitted only one Russian oil tanker to dock in Cuba at the end of March, which Trump called a one-off shipment. Rodriguez said the sanctions and blockade are directly responsible for current shortages and suffering across the island.

The Cuban foreign ministry offered no immediate indication of further diplomatic or economic measures, while U.S. officials maintained that existing sanctions and Venezuela’s supply cutoff fully account for the island’s fuel shortages.