Cuba Alters Venezuelan Statement to Mask Cooling Ties with Caracas after Maduro's Capture

The Cuban regime has attempted to obscure the growing political and economic divide with Venezuela by altering an official statement released by the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry on January 11, 2026. This statement from Caracas reaffirmed its "historic stance" in its relations with Cuba.

In a broadcast by the Noticiero Nacional de Televisión (NTV), the statement's content was distorted by removing diplomatic references and inserting ideological narratives centered around the "legacy of Chávez and Fidel."

The original text from the Venezuelan government, shared on the social media platform X, emphasized national self-determination and sovereignty "in accordance with the United Nations Charter and International Law," and called for "political and diplomatic dialogue" to peacefully resolve disputes.

Notably, the statement made no mention of the United States nor did it contain confrontational language.

Conversely, NTV omitted references to International Law and dialogue, replacing them with fabricated statements not present in the original document.

Among the most blatant insertions, the state-run media added passages about "the Latin American project envisioned by Bolívar and Martí" and praised the "legacy of Chávez and Fidel." Additionally, a paragraph accused Washington of attempting to "fragment the union of our nations," none of which appeared in the official Venezuelan text.

The Cuban version sought to reinforce the image of an unbreakable alliance between the two regimes, even as their relationship faces its most fragile period in two decades.

The Venezuelan communiqué was a direct response to statements made by President Donald J. Trump, who, on the same day, warned on his social media platform Truth Social that the United States would immediately halt the flow of oil and money from Venezuela to Cuba.

"No more oil or money for Cuba: zero," Trump declared, reminding that for years Havana had relied on Venezuelan resources in exchange for intelligence and security support.

This warning, coupled with the capture of Nicolás Maduro and the establishment of an interim government led by Delcy Rodríguez under Washington's oversight, has drastically altered the regional balance.

The new Venezuelan government is adopting a more cautious diplomatic approach, focusing on internal stability and meeting the conditions set by the United States for democratic transition.

In this context, Havana's manipulation of the statement exposed a desperate attempt to maintain the appearance of ideological unity. The removal of legal and diplomatic references, along with the insertion of revolutionary symbols, reflects the Cuban regime's interest in sustaining the narrative of Bolivarian continuity despite the material collapse of the alliance.

Since late December, the supply of subsidized oil from Venezuela to Cuba has been nearly halved, and cooperation agreements in health and security are under review.

Without this support, the Cuban economy faces an even deeper energy crisis, with prolonged blackouts, fuel shortages, and an unstable scenario threatening the sustainability of the Castro-imposed model.

The contrast between the official Venezuelan text—diplomatic, cautious, and dialogue-oriented—and NTV's propagandistic version—ideological and confrontational—reveals the extent to which the Cuban media apparatus tries to control public perception to conceal a historic shift.

The Chávez-Fidel era, which sustained the Caracas-Havana axis for two decades, is definitively ending under Washington's pressure and the new regional power map.

This manipulation not only distorts political reality but also reveals the Cuban regime's fear of acknowledging its isolation. The underlying message is clear: the "revolutionary brotherhood" no longer exists, and Havana is trying to extend a narrative that Caracas is already beginning to move beyond.