Though Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, was instrumental in facilitating the resumption of diplomatic ties, so was the plunging price of oil. Continued isolation would have left the Cuban regime dangerously exposed, given the declining financial fortunes of its primary sponsor, petroleum-rich Venezuela.
虽然首任拉美教皇弗朗西斯为促进外交关系恢复作出了贡献，但同样起到重要作用的还有石油价格的下跌。继续孤立会让古巴政权承担很大的风险，因为其主要赞助国盛产石油的委内瑞拉金融资产规模不断降低。