Cuba Said CIA Director Visited Havana

The Cuban government said CIA Director John Ratcliffe met his Cuban counterpart at the interior ministry in Havana. The reported visit occurred after the U.S. renewed an offer of $100 million in aid to ease the effects of fuel shortages in the country.

A Cuban statement said the meeting was an attempt to improve dialogue. Officials told American counterparts that Havana was not a threat to U.S. national security. Both sides also underscored their interest in developing bilateral cooperation between law enforcement agencies in the interest of the security of both countries, as well as regional and international security.

Fuel shortages have been exacerbated by U.S. measures squeezing supplies of essentials such as diesel and fuel oil. Hospitals have been unable to function normally while schools and government offices have closed. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said conditions could be eased faster if the U.S. lifted its blockade instead of offering aid.

Havana's confirmation of the meeting came after a U.S. government plane was seen taking off from José Martí international airport on Thursday afternoon. Cuba and the U.S. acknowledged earlier this year they were in talks, but negotiations appeared to stall as restrictions on oil supplies continued.

Cuba has in the past relied on Venezuela and Mexico to supply oil to its refinery system.

Earlier on Thursday, the foreign minister said Cuba was ready to hear the details of the U.S. aid proposal and how it would be implemented. The previous day, officials renewed an offer to provide generous assistance to the Cuban people. The offer specified that the aid would have to be distributed in coordination with the Catholic Church and other reliable independent humanitarian organisations.

The foreign minister added that it was unclear whether the U.S. aid offer would be in cash or in-kind assistance. He stated that the Cuban government does not, as a matter of practice, reject foreign aid offered in good faith and with genuine aims of cooperation.

He added that the best way the U.S. could help Cuba would be to de-escalate energy, economic, commercial, and financial blockade measures.

The country's energy minister warned that Cuba had completely run out of diesel and fuel oil. In an interview with state-run media, he said there were limited amounts of gas available but that Cuba's energy system was in a critical state. Cubans have been suffering from extensive blackouts, some of them nationwide, for months.

On Wednesday, after the latest power cut affecting large swathes of eastern Cuba as well as parts of the capital, hundreds took to the streets in Havana. Protesters blocked roads with burning rubbish and shouted anti-government slogans. It marked the biggest single night of demonstrations in the city since the energy crisis began in January.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel acknowledged the particularly tense situation across the island, which he attributed to U.S. measures. The Trump administration has essentially shut down all deliveries of crude oil to Cuba. The measures ramped up in early May when fresh sanctions were imposed on senior Cuban officials accused of committing human rights abuses.