How the Venezuela-Cuba Alliance Deteriorated After Maduro’s Capture, bbc.com reports

Caracas and Havana have seen a significant cooling in their diplomatic and security ties following the United States military operation on January 3, 2026, that detained former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, bbc.com reported. The shift became evident when acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez delivered a speech before the United Nations General Assembly that omitted any mention of Cuba for the first time in 20 years.

The Historic Partnership Between Chávez and Fidel Castro

The alliance between Venezuela and Cuba dates back to 1999 when former Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez forged what he frequently described as a strategic partnership, a brotherhood, and a historical unity with Fidel Castro. According to bbc.com, that bond was built on an agreement to supply Venezuelan oil to the island under preferential terms in exchange for thousands of Cuban personnel sent to assist in health, education, culture, and sports.

While thousands of medical professionals deployed across Venezuela through the Misión Barrio Adentro program, security experts note that the defining feature of the bilateral relationship was deep collaboration in intelligence and contraintelligence. Frank Mora, a professor of international relations at Florida International University and a former Pentagon official, told bbc.com that Cuban intelligence operatives penetrated deeply into the Venezuelan military and state security apparatus following events in April 2002 to protect Chávez and thwart internal conspiracies.

Security Shifts and the Departure of Cuban Agents

Subsequent reporting outlined the dismantling of that security apparatus. In January 2026, Cuban media outlet 14ymedio reported multiple flights by Cubana de Aviación transporting personnel back to the island, while Reuters published an investigation in February citing 11 sources indicating that Cuban security agents and medical workers were evacuating Venezuela under pressure from Washington. John Polga-Hecimovich, an associate professor of political science at the U.S. Naval Academy, told bbc.com that the oubanization of Venezuelan state security has been a top priority for U.S. intelligence.

Venezuela Suspends Crude Oil Deliveries to Cuba

Under the interim administration of Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela has pivoted diplomatically while maintaining a suspension of crude oil deliveries to Cuba amid a U.S. maritime blockade in place since late 2025. Carlos Fernández de Cossío, Cuba’s deputy minister of foreign affairs, acknowledged the deterioration in an interview with Bloomberg cited by bbc.com, stating that Venezuela is a friendly nation but noting that aliado es una palabra muy fuerte.

High Level Visits Between Governments Drop Sharply

While Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel held a telephone call with Delcy Rodríguez on January 22, 2026, expressing solidarity and a desire to maintain historic ties, high-level visits between the two governments have dropped sharply.