CIA Chief Visits Havana as Cuba’s Energy Crisis Reaches Breaking Point
BBC Business reported Thursday that CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Havana for a rare meeting with his Cuban counterpart at the interior ministry. The visit came as Cuba’s energy crisis reached a critical threshold, with the island entirely depleted of diesel and fuel oil.
A Meeting Framed Around Security and Dialogue
Cuban officials said the encounter was intended to advance bilateral dialogue. Havana told American representatives it posed no threat to US national security. Both governments also expressed interest in expanding law enforcement cooperation for the benefit of regional stability. A US government aircraft was spotted departing Havana’s José Martí International Airport Thursday afternoon, according to witnesses cited in Reuters reporting.
Aid Offer Remains on the Table, But Terms Are Disputed
The visit coincided with Washington renewing a $100 million humanitarian assistance offer to the Cuban people. The US State Department stipulated that any aid distribution must run through the Catholic Church and other independent organizations, deliberately sidestepping the Cuban government. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said Havana was willing to hear the full details of the proposal. He noted, however, that the government does not routinely decline foreign aid offered in genuine good faith. Rodríguez also questioned whether the package would arrive as cash or in-kind goods. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had claimed last week that Cuba already rejected the offer, a characterization Havana disputed.
Background: Blockade Tightens as Venezuela and Mexico Step Back
Cuba’s energy infrastructure has historically depended on discounted oil from Venezuela and subsidized supplies from Mexico. Both pipelines have dried up since President Donald Trump threatened tariff penalties against any nation continuing fuel deliveries to the island. That squeeze has left hospitals operating below capacity, forced schools to shut, and triggered rolling nationwide blackouts that have persisted since January. Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy confirmed this week that the country’s fuel reserves have been fully exhausted and described the overall energy system as being in a state of crisis.
Protests Grow as Patience Runs Out
Hundreds of Havana residents took to the streets Wednesday night after fresh blackouts swept eastern Cuba and parts of the capital. Demonstrators blocked roads with burning debris and shouted slogans against the government, marking the largest single night of unrest since the crisis began. President Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged the severity of the situation but directed blame squarely at Washington, describing US fuel restrictions as an escalating economic weapon targeting ordinary Cubans.
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