Oil tankers traveling from Mexico to Cuba have captured the world’s attention in the last month. Sheinbaum has been arguing for weeks that the oil shipments are of two types: humanitarian aid and contracts signed by Pemex with the Cuban regime. This Wednesday, the president elaborated on this narrative in response to reports that Mexico’s state-owned oil company has suspended its crude oil shipment schedule to Cuba. The Bank of Mexico has recorded shipments of oil exported to Cuba by Pemex — Mexico’s sole oil supplier — since 1993. A month later, in November 2024, Hurricane Rafael devastated the island, and from then on, Mexico’s shipments became increasingly generous.