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CIA Director John Ratcliffe Meets Cuban Officials in Havana
The Cuban government said the Thursday meeting aimed to advance political dialogue and demonstrated that Cuba poses no threat to U.S. national security. Havana has run out of diesel and fuel oil after Washington imposed a fuel blockade in January, with blackouts now routine in the capital. President Donald Trump has imposed fresh sanctions and mused about taking over the island.
May 14, 6:17 PM·1m read2 sources
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CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Cuban officials in Havana on Thursday, the Cuban government said. The meeting took place in a context marked by the complexity of bilateral relations, with the aim of contributing to the political dialogue between both nations, according to a Cuban government statement.
The exchanges made it possible to demonstrate categorically that Cuba does not constitute a threat to US national security.
They also showed there are no legitimate reasons to include Cuba on the list of countries that allegedly sponsor terrorism, the statement added. Cuba has never supported any hostile activity against the United States, the statement said. Cuba will not permit actions against any other nation to be carried out from Cuba.
The CIA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday. The visit comes as Cuba endures record energy shortages. Cuba has run out of diesel and fuel oil, the country's energy minister said.
Blackouts are now a regular occurrence in Havana. Washington imposed a fuel blockade on Cuba in January. President Donald Trump slapped sanctions on Cuba. President Donald Trump mused about taking over Cuba.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio renewed an offer of $100m in aid on the condition that the assistance be distributed by the Catholic church, bypassing the government. In response, Cuba’s president Miguel Diaz-Canel posted on X urging the US to lift its blockade.
Miguel Diaz-Canel said the damage could be eased in a much simpler and faster way by lifting or relaxing the blockade, since it is known that the humanitarian situation is coldly calculated and induced.
