Cuba accused U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday of lying after he denied that the United States was imposing an oil blockade on the island, as the country continues to face a severe energy crisis.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla responded to remarks made by Rubio during a White House press conference, where he claimed there was “no oil embargo on Cuba” and argued that Venezuela had simply stopped supplying Havana with free oil.

Rubio stated that Cuba had been receiving large amounts of Venezuelan oil and reselling much of it for profit, adding that the current crisis was caused by Venezuela’s decision to halt those shipments rather than direct U.S. actions.

Havana strongly rejected the comments, saying additional sanctions imposed by the administration of President Donald Trump on Cuba’s energy sector in May had worsened the suffering of the Cuban people and deepened the country’s fuel and electricity shortages.

Cuba has faced widespread blackouts and severe fuel shortages for months, while the government accuses Washington of intensifying economic pressure by restricting energy supplies and limiting oil deliveries to the island.

The dispute comes amid rising tensions between Washington and Havana, as the U.S. continues to tighten sanctions on Cuba and its allies, particularly Venezuela.