CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Cuban officials, including Raúl Castro's grandson, during a high-level visit to Havana on Thursday, according to Cuban and US officials. The meeting included Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, Interior Minister Lázaro Álvarez Casas, and the head of Cuban intelligence services. Discussions focused on intelligence cooperation, economic stability, and security issues.
US Message to Cuba
A CIA official confirmed the meetings to the AP, stating that Ratcliffe was there 'to personally deliver President Donald Trump's message that the United States is prepared to seriously engage on economic and security issues, but only if Cuba makes fundamental changes.' The US emphasized that Cuba cannot continue to be a 'safe haven for adversaries in the Western Hemisphere.'
Cuba's Response
Cuba's government statement noted that the meeting 'took place against a backdrop of complex bilateral relations.' The Cuban delegation insisted that the island presents no threat to US security and objected to Cuba's continued inclusion on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Rodríguez Castro, who previously met secretly with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in February, has never held a government post but served as his grandfather's bodyguard and later as head of Cuba's equivalent of the Secret Service.
Ongoing Engagements
These meetings mark the first US government flights to land in Cuba (excluding Guantanamo Bay) since 2016. The talks come amid heightened tensions over the US energy blockade, which has worsened Cuba's economic crisis, causing reduced work hours and food spoilage due to power outages.
The US State Department reiterated a $100 million humanitarian aid offer for satellite Internet, contingent on Cuban regime permission. In January, Trump threatened tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba. While Trump has also threatened intervention, sources told AP that military action is not imminent.
