CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Cuban officials in Havana on Thursday, the communist government said, as the island endures record energy shortages. The visit occurs amid strained U.S.-Cuba relations following Washington’s January imposition of a fuel blockade and President Donald Trump’s recent sanctions on Cuba, along with his speculation about taking control of the island.
A government statement read that 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.” The CIA did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
The Cuban statement added that the exchanges “made it possible to demonstrate categorically that Cuba does not constitute a threat to U.S. national security, nor are there any legitimate reasons to include it on the list of countries that allegedly sponsor terrorism.” It further emphasized that Cuba “has never supported any hostile activity against the United States, nor will it permit actions against any other nation to be carried out from Cuba,” referring to allegations of a Chinese presence.
Since the U.S. fuel blockade began in January, Cuba’s energy crisis has deepened, with only one Russian oil tanker making it through since then. Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy stated on state television that those oil reserves have now “run out,” describing the situation as “very tense.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has renewed an offer of $100 million in aid on the condition that the assistance be distributed by the Catholic Church, bypassing the Cuban government. In a post on X, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel urged the United States to lift its blockade.
“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,” he said. But if Washington showed “true willingness” to provide aid, he added, “it will encounter no obstacles or ingratitude from Cuba.”
Despite tensions, intergovernmental talks are ongoing, with a high-level diplomatic meeting scheduled for April 10 in Havana — the first time a U.S. government plane has landed there since 2016.
Eastern Cuba was plunged into the latest outage affecting the whole country on Thursday, with power returning to some areas later that day. The crisis prompted protests across the island. A resident of San Miguel del Padron, a neighborhood on the outskirts of Havana, said people had protested by banging pots and pans on Wednesday evening. Several similar small demonstrations occurred in neighborhoods throughout the capital.
“Turn on the lights!” shouted residents in Playa, in the western part of the city. Data compiled showed that prolonged blackouts and record generation shortfalls have impacted the nation recently — 65% of Cuban territory endured simultaneous blackouts on Tuesday.
Rubio stated: “It’s a broken, nonfunctional economy, and it’s impossible to change it. I wish it were different.” He added: “I don’t think we’re going to be able to change the trajectory of Cuba as long as these people are in charge.”
