Director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Meets Cuban Officials in Havana

SadaNews - CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Cuban officials in Havana as part of efforts to strengthen dialogue between the United States and the island, according to the Cuban government.

The government statement noted that the meeting took place "in the context of the complexities characterizing bilateral relations, aiming to contribute to the political dialogue between the two countries".

The Cuban government statement indicated that the communication "allowed for demonstrating that Cuba in no way represents a threat to U.S. national security, and there are no legitimate reasons to include it on the list of countries alleged to sponsor terrorism".

The statement emphasized that Cuba "has never supported any hostile activities against the United States, and will not allow any actions against any other country to be carried out from its territory," referring to the U.S. accusation of hosting Chinese bases.

This visit comes at a time of significant deterioration in relations between the United States and Cuba, after Washington imposed an oil embargo on the island in January.

U.S. President Donald Trump also imposed sanctions on the island and spoke publicly about "controlling" it.

The situation on the island is dire, with frequent power outages and supply shortages.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has again offered $100 million in aid, providing it is distributed by the Catholic Church and not the government.

In a post on X, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel urged the United States to lift its embargo instead.

He said, "The harm can be alleviated in a much simpler and faster way by lifting or easing the embargo," denouncing the "manufactured" humanitarian crisis on the island.

However, he noted that if Washington shows a "genuine will to provide assistance, Cuba will not face any obstacles or denial."

Despite the tensions, conversations between the two governments continue, as a high-level diplomatic meeting was held in Havana on April 10, accompanied by the first landing of a U.S. government plane in the Cuban capital since 2016.