US offered Cuba oil for leader's exit and energy firm privatization
Secret Trump administration proposal collapsed due to Cuban resistance and Miami political pressure.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Deal would have given US significant sway over Cuba's main oil provider, media reports say. / AFP Archive
Photograph: TRT World (embedded from source)
What this story says
- The Trump administration proposed an energy deal to Cuba, offering oil and investment.
- In return, the US sought the departure of President Miguel Díaz-Canel and the privatization of CUPET.
- The proposal was presented to Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, grandson of former leader Raúl Castro.
- The deal failed due to political pressure in Miami and resistance from Havana.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 8 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 14 of the 22 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
58/100
Craft
87/100
Hype
30/100
22 sources · methodology
The Trump administration explored a secret energy deal with Cuba that would have supplied oil and investment to the island. In exchange, the US sought the departure of President Miguel Díaz-Canel and the privatization of the state-owned energy company, Union Cuba-Petroleo (CUPET). The proposal was reportedly presented to Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, grandson of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, who acted as an intermediary.
The plan ultimately collapsed due to political pressure from Cuban-American communities in Miami and resistance from the Cuban government in Havana. Following the breakdown of these discussions, the Trump administration shifted its focus to imposing sanctions, targeting entities such as the military conglomerate GAESA and CUPET.
Where the reports disagree
TRT World reported that US officials met Rodríguez Castro in Saint Kitts and Nevis in February, citing the Miami Herald. Latin Times stated that CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Havana in May and met Cuban officials, including Rodríguez Castro, with the visit focusing on security and economic stability. The remaining reports do not specify the location or timing of meetings with Rodríguez Castro beyond stating he was an intermediary.
What the coverage left out
None of the left, centre, or right-rated reports mention the specific figure of $8.1 billion in economic damage to Cuba during 2025, as stated by Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez and reported by Latin Times.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 1 time, most recently on 11 Sept 2026, 01:15, and will add the sides that appear.
How other outlets pictured it
Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.
US offered Cuba oil for leader's exit and energy firm privatization
Latin Times — embedded from source
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
1 rated outlet
- Latin Times led on the offer of oil and US investment in exchange for political and economic concessions, highlighting the potential impact on Cuban civilians facing blackouts and food spoilage. The report detailed how the negotiations became entangled with the politically sensitive issue of negotiating with a Castro family member and the fears of Cuban Americans in Miami that any deal could rescue the communist government without securing democratic reforms. It noted that Havana's leadership ultimately decided to resist, viewing the conditions as a threat to national sovereignty. The outlet also mentioned the humanitarian effects of Cuba's energy crisis and the US embassy's health alert regarding failing water and electricity systems.
Centre
2 rated outlets
- TRT World and Hola News focused on the secret nature of the energy deal and its collapse over political demands. TRT World reported that the proposal would have provided Cuba with US oil in exchange for privatizing CUPET and gaining US investor control, and also sought the departure of President Miguel Díaz-Canel. The outlet noted that the deal was tied to a demand for Díaz-Canel's exit, whom Trump administration officials viewed as an "incompetent figurehead." TRT World also mentioned the context of Venezuela's oil supply ending and the Trump administration's subsequent declaration of a national emergency and threats of tariffs. Hola News, citing EFE and the Miami Herald, also reported the offer of oil and investment for Díaz-Canel's departure and CUPET's privatization, noting the plan was not realized due to Cuban reluctance and Miami political pressure.
Right
5 rated outlets
- El Debate, BioBioChile, abc, El Universo, and Anadolu Ajansı reported that the US proposed an oil agreement to the Castro regime in exchange for the overthrow of Díaz-Canel or his departure from power. El Debate stated an anonymous source revealed the information to the Miami Herald. BioBioChile and abc highlighted the offer of oil and investment in exchange for Díaz-Canel's departure and CUPET's privatization. El Universo reported that the plan did not materialize due to Cuba's reluctance and Miami political pressure. Anadolu Ajansı stated the secret deal collapsed over political demands, with the Trump administration offering oil supplies in exchange for changes to Cuba's energy sector and Díaz-Canel's departure.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover US offered Cuba oil for leader's exit and energy firm privatization?
- Of the 8 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 13% are rated left, 24% are rated centre, 63% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 22. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is US offered Cuba oil for leader's exit and energy firm privatization left or right?
- Too few of the outlets on this story carry a published leaning rating to say. 8 of them do, and this site does not characterise a field under 12: at that size one newsroom filing moves the share by ten points. The percentages above are the count as it stands.
- Is the coverage of US offered Cuba oil for leader's exit and energy firm privatization biased?
- US offered Cuba oil for leader's exit and energy firm privatization is one event reported by 22 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which outlets covered US offered Cuba oil for leader's exit and energy firm privatization?
- 22 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What did the US offer Cuba in the secret energy deal?
- The Trump administration offered Cuba oil supplies and the possibility of US investment in its energy sector. This was intended to help modernize the island's deteriorating infrastructure and address its energy crisis.
- What did the US want in return for the oil and investment?
- The US sought significant political and economic concessions from the Cuban government. These included the departure of President Miguel Díaz-Canel and the privatization of the state-owned energy company, CUPET.
- Why did the proposed deal collapse?
- The deal collapsed due to a combination of factors. Havana's leadership ultimately decided to resist the conditions, viewing them as a threat to national sovereignty. Additionally, there was significant political pressure from influential Cuban Americans in Miami.
- Who was the intermediary for the negotiations?
- The proposal was reportedly presented to Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, the grandson of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, who acted as an intermediary between Havana and senior officials in the Trump administration.
Read it at the source
22 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
1Centre
2Right
5- The United States Proposed to the Castro Regime an Oil Agreement in Exchange for the Overthrow of Díaz-Canel (opens El Debate in a new tab)
- Report States that the U.S. Offered Oil to Cuba in Exchange for President Díaz Canel's Departure (opens BioBioChile in a new tab)
BioBioChile — is BioBioChile biased? Our profile of this outlet
- The U.S. Offered Oil to Cuba in Exchange for Díaz-Canel’s Departure, According to the Miami Herald (opens ABC in a new tab)
- Trump Would Have Offered Oil and Investment to Cuba in Exchange for Miguel Díaz-Canel’s Departure (opens El Universo in a new tab)
El Universo — is El Universo biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Secret US-Cuba Energy Deal Collapsed over Political Demands (opens Anadolu Ajansı in a new tab)
Anadolu Ajansı — is Anadolu Ajansı biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
14- The United States Proposed to Supply Oil to Cuba in Exchange for Díaz-Canel's Resignation and the Privatization of Cupet, According to the Miami Herald (opens EL NACIONAL in a new tab)
EL NACIONAL — is EL NACIONAL biased? Our profile of this outlet
- U.S. Offered Cuba Oil for the Exit of Díaz-Canel (opens Gazeta Do Povo in a new tab)
Gazeta Do Povo — is Gazeta Do Povo biased? Our profile of this outlet
- The U.S. Offers Oil to Cuba in Exchange for Díaz-Canel's Departure, According to the Miami Herald - Foco Informativa (opens focoinformativo.site in a new tab)
focoinformativo.site — is focoinformativo.site biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US Offered Oil to Cuba in Exchange for President Díaz-Canel's Exit (opens Correio da Manhã in a new tab)
Correio da Manhã — is Correio da Manhã biased? Our profile of this outlet
- The US Would Have Offered Oil and Investments to Cuba in Exchange for Díaz-Canel's Departure - La Noticia SV (opens lanoticiasv.com in a new tab)
lanoticiasv.com — is lanoticiasv.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- What the U.S. Would Have Offered Cuba in Exchange for Díaz-Canel’s Departure (opens ALnavío in a new tab)
- The United States Offered Oil to Cuba in Exchange for Díaz-Canel’s Departure, According to the Miami Herald (opens El Comercio in a new tab)
El Comercio — is El Comercio biased? Our profile of this outlet
- The United States Offered Oil to Cuba in Exchange for Díaz-Canel’s Departure, According to the Miami Herald (opens N Digital in a new tab)
Show 6 more
- The U.S. Offered Oil to Cuba in Exchange for Díaz-Canel’s Departure, According to the Miami Herald (opens El Carabobeño in a new tab)
El Carabobeño — is El Carabobeño biased? Our profile of this outlet
- U.S. Offered Oil to Cuba Out of Díaz-Canel, According to Miami Herald · Global Voices (opens Aristegui Noticias in a new tab)
Aristegui Noticias — is Aristegui Noticias biased? Our profile of this outlet
- #World: The U.S. Offered Oil to Cuba in Exchange for Díaz-Canel's Departure, According to the Miami Herald (opens Felix Victorino in a new tab)
Felix Victorino — is Felix Victorino biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 'Miami Herald': an Agreement Between Washington and Havana Would Have Failed in Early 2026 (opens diariodecuba.com in a new tab)
diariodecuba.com — is diariodecuba.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US Offered Oil to Cuba in Exchange for Díaz-Canel's Exit, According to Miami Herald (opens IOL Portugal in a new tab)
IOL Portugal — is IOL Portugal biased? Our profile of this outlet
- The United States Offered Oil to Cuba in Exchange for Miguel Díaz-Canel’s Departure, According to the Miami Herald (opens RPP in a new tab)
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