Wednesday, May 20Wednesday, May 20CIA Director John Ratcliffe conducted a rare high-level meeting with Cuban officials in Havana on Thursday, 14.05.2026, as part of efforts to address strained U.S.-Cuba relations. The discussions focused on intelligence cooperation, economic stability, and regional security, with Ratcliffe delivering a message from President Trump that the U.S. is open to serious economic and security talks if Cuba implements fundamental reforms. Key Cuban officials present included Interior Minister Lazaro Alvarez Casas, intelligence chief Raulito Rodriguez Castro, and other security leaders. Ratcliffe emphasized that Cuba could no longer serve as a safe haven for U.S. adversaries in the Western Hemisphere, while Cuban officials countered that the country does not pose a national security threat and should not remain designated as a state sponsor of terrorism .
The meeting occurred amid Cuba’s severe fuel crisis, with the country running out of oil and facing blackouts exceeding 20 hours daily. The U.S. has offered $100 million in economic aid conditional on meaningful reforms to Cuba’s communist system. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel responded on Twitter, stating that Cuba would not reject aid if the U.S. demonstrated genuine willingness to provide it. The fuel shortage stems partly from U.S. sanctions and the recent U.S. operation in Venezuela, which disrupted Cuba’s oil imports .
Ratcliffe’s visit was framed as an opportunity to explore cooperation, though U.S. officials stressed that the window for dialogue is not indefinite. The CIA director reportedly referenced the recent U.S. operation in Venezuela as a cautionary example, urging Cuban officials to consider reforms. The U.S. has also imposed sanctions targeting companies doing business with Cuba, further pressuring the regime. Cuba’s release of political prisoner Sissi Abascal Zamora was noted as a potential gesture to ease U.S. pressure .
The Cuban government described the meeting as part of efforts to address bilateral complexities, while U.S. officials suggested Havana’s willingness to engage signaled a potential shift in its stance. However, no immediate breakthrough was reported, and the CIA has not publicly commented on the discussions .
> Background: **CIA director meets Cuban officials amid U.S. reform demands and fuel crisis.** — *21 minutes ago*
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#Cuba #USA CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Cuban officials in Havana to discuss intelligence cooperation, economic stability, and security issues. This meeting was part of ongoing efforts to address complex bilateral relations between the U.S. and Cuba. Subscribe to @OSINTdefender Chat room
telegram bot · 6 days ago
🇺🇸🇨🇺⚡️ — CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Cuban officials in Havana on Thursday to deliver a message from President Trump that the U.S. is willing to engage in serious economic and security talks if Cuba makes fundamental changes, according to Axios. ➡️ The discussions included Interior Minister Lazaro Alvarez Casas, intelligence chief Raulito Rodriguez Castro, and other Cuban security officials, focusing on intelligence cooperation, economic stability, and regional security. ➡️ Ratcliffe stressed that Cuba could no longer serve as a safe haven for U.S. adversaries in the Western Hemisphere. ➡️ Cuban officials argued that the country does not pose a national security threat to the U.S. and should not remain designated as a state sponsor of terrorism.
telegram bot · 6 days ago
CIA Director Meets With Cuban Officials in Havana The unusual visit comes as the Communist regime grapples with extensive blackouts and rising unrest.
wsj · 6 days ago
🇺🇸📞🇨🇺 - A US delegation, led by CIA director John Ratcliffe, is heading to Havana for talks with its counterpart in the Cuban Ministry of Interior. This round of discussion comes as Cuba admitted it has ran out of oil. The last oil delivery was by a small Russian tanker 6 weeks ago and blackouts are returning. The US State Department is dangling $100 million of economic aid in front of Cubas leadership, conditional on meaningful reforms to Cubas communist system. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel responded on Twitter: If there is truly a willingness on the part of the United States government to provide aid … it will encounter no obstacles or ingratitude from Cuba.
telegram bot · 6 days ago
CIA Director Visits Havana as Fuel Runs Out in Cuba The unusual visit comes as the Communist regime grapples with extensive blackouts and rising unrest.
wsj · 6 days ago
CIA Director John Ratcliffe holds rare talks with Cuban officials in Havana The discussions focused on intelligence cooperation, economic stability and security issues
independent · 6 days ago
CIA director has met officials in Havana for talks, Cuba claims Visit comes after US-Cuba relations deteriorated significantly, with Washington imposing a fuel blockade on the island in JanuaryCIA director John Ratcliffe met Cuban officials in Havana on Thursday as a way to improve dialogue between the US and the communist-run island, 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, a statement said. Continue reading...
theguardian · 6 days ago
Cubas Diaz-Canel open to US aid amid worsening fuel crisis, blackouts The comments came as a US delegation led by CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Cuban officials in Havana on Thursday.
aljazeera · 6 days ago
CIA director visits Cuba for rare meeting as island runs out of fuel CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Cuba on Thursday to meet intelligence officials and Raulito Rodriguez Castro, the grandson of former leader Raúl Castro.The big picture: Cuba is facing a crippling fuel shortage and economic crisis, due in part to U.S. sanctions. President Trump has repeatedly indicated he wants regime change, though a CIA official said Ratcliffe emphasized that cooperation is possible if the government makes fundamental changes.Ratcliffe urged the Cuban officials to take a lesson from the Jan. 3 operation that toppled Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, the CIA official said.The intrigue: The fact that the Cuban government was willing to openly host a member of Trumps administration — particularly the director of the CIA — suggests some in Havana may be interested in a deal.They have no fuel. They have no money. They have no one coming to rescue them. The regime has been stubborn since 1959, but even they realize its time for a change, a senior administration official claimed to Axios.Secretary of State Marco Rubio has led secret talks with Cuban leaders and power brokers, as Axios previously reported, though there has been no clear breakthrough. The CIA official said Ratcliffe met with Raulito Castro, with whom Rubio has been negotiating, as well as Interior Minister Lazaro Alvarez Casas and the head of Cuban intelligence.Zoom in: Emergency sanctions announced last week by Rubio sent a message to companies doing business with the Cuban government that theyll face financial penalties.Its hard for corporations to make money in Cuba and the sanctions just make it not worth it for companies to stay there, the U.S. official said.Driving the news: The Cuban government was the first to reveal the meeting and said it was part of the efforts to address the current scenario.Havanas readout said the Cuban side demonstrated to Ratcliffe that Cuba is not a threat to the U.S. or a state sponsor of terror, as it was designated in Trumps first term.The CIA official said Ratcliffe went to Havana to deliver President Trumps message that the United States is prepared to seriously engage on economic and security issues, but only if Cuba makes fundamental changes.During the meeting, Director Ratcliffe and Cuban officials discussed intelligence cooperation, economic stability, and security issues, all against the backdrop that Cuba can no longer be a safe haven for adversaries in the Western Hemisphere, the official said.State of play: Other major headlines from Cuba over the past 24 hours illustrate how fast the situation is deteriorating.Cubas energy minister said Wednesday that the country had run out of fuel oil and diesel and that blackouts could exceed 20-22 hours per day. The fuel crunch came after the Maduro operation, when the U.S. asserted control over the Venezuelan oil exports on which Cuba was heavily reliant. There have been reports of hospitals struggling to provide lifesaving care and Cubans going to extraordinary lengths to cook meals without any gas for their stoves.Cuba also released a political prisoner, Sissi Abascal Zamora, on Thursday, in another sign that the government is seeking to alleviate U.S. pressure.Between the lines: The CIA directors meeting with an intelligence services counterpart is significant because Cuba is a repressive spy state that closely monitors its population.The U.S. wants to ensure that a non-repressive security structure remains intact to avoid bedlam in the streets and mass migration to the U.S., officials say. What to watch: The CIA official stressed that the window of opportunity for talks with the U.S. will not stay open indefinitely, and that Trump will find another way to enforce his red lines if dialogue doesnt work.
axios · 6 days ago
Cuban government says CIA chief John Ratcliffe met with officials in Havana CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Cuban officials in Havana on Thursday in a bid to improve dialogue between Washington and the communist-run island, the Cuban government said. The meeting took place in a context marked by the complexity of bilateral relations, Havana said. The CIA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
france24 · 6 days ago
JUST IN: 🇺🇸🇨🇺 CIA Director John Ratcliffe visits Cuba. @BRICSNews
telegram bot · 6 days ago
JUST IN - U.S. delegation led by CIA director John Ratcliffe met with Cuban Interior Ministry officials in Havana. Read here: @disclosetv
telegram bot · 6 days ago