CIA Director John Ratcliffe Met With Cuban Officials in Havana Amid Island’s Fuel Shortages

The Cuban government stated that CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Cuban Interior Minister Lázaro Álvarez Casas on Thursday in Havana. The meetings included Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, grandson of former leader Raúl Castro, according to U.S. and Cuban officials cited by multiple outlets. A CIA official confirmed the meetings to the Associated Press.

Cuba’s government described the discussions as covering the “current scenario,” according to its official statement. The talks occurred as Cuba faces its worst energy crisis in years, with the country’s power grid collapsing in recent weeks, leading to widespread blackouts, reduced work hours and food spoilage. The island has depleted its oil reserves, according to Cuban statements.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said on X that Cuba is open to receiving aid, particularly fuels, food and medicines. The United States could provide Cuba with $100 million in humanitarian assistance and support for satellite internet if the Cuban regime will permit it, according to statements reported from the U.S. side.

The meetings took place in a context marked by the complexity of bilateral relations, according to a Cuban government statement. U.S. and Cuban officials had also met earlier this year in Cuba. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Cuban counterparts on the sidelines of a Caribbean Community summit in St. Kitts in February.

Cuba remains on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, a designation made by the Trump administration in 2021. Cuba’s government stated that it does not harbor, support, finance or permit terrorist or extremist organizations. The vessels’ operators have not been publicly identified by the U.S. government in related matters, and no publicly released evidence has documented specific claims regarding safe havens in some reporting.

President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on any country that sells or supplies oil to Cuba in late January. An executive order imposed restrictions on oil shipments earlier this year. Díaz-Canel stated that an invasion would be met with an impregnable resistance. He told NBC News last month he had no fear and is willing to give his life for the revolution.

The U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay has been referenced in bilateral discussions since 2016. Ratcliffe delivered a message that the United States is prepared to seriously engage on economic and security issues, but only if Cuba makes fundamental changes, according to a CIA official. U.S. officials stressed that Cuba cannot continue to be a safe haven for adversaries in the Western Hemisphere.