Day: May 15, 2026

#CIA Director John  #Ratcliffe has made a rare visit to  #Cuba
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CIA Director Visits Cuba Amid Crisis  gemini.google.com/share/60d9…
Yes, that is correct. On Thursday, May 14, 2026, CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Havana for a highly unusual, top-level meeting with senior Cuban officials.

Here is a breakdown of the key details and context surrounding the visit:

Who He Met

Ratcliffe’s meetings included prominent figures within the Cuban government and intelligence apparatus:

Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro: The grandson of former Cuban President Raúl Castro (who previously served as his grandfather’s bodyguard and headed Cuba’s equivalent of the Secret Service).
Lázaro Álvarez Casas: Cuba’s Interior Minister.
The Head of Cuban Intelligence Services.

The Core Message and Demands

A CIA official confirmed that Ratcliffe’s primary objective was to personally deliver a message from President Donald Trump: the United States is prepared to seriously engage with Cuba on economic and security issues, but only if Havana makes “fundamental changes.” During discussions covering intelligence cooperation, economic stability, and security, the U.S. delegation explicitly stressed that Cuba can no longer serve as a “safe haven for adversaries in the Western Hemisphere.” The administration cautioned that the window for collaboration would not remain open indefinitely and that the U.S. would enforce “red lines” if necessary.

The Cuban Response

The Cuban delegation utilized the meeting to insist that their nation presents no threat to U.S. national security. They heavily pushed back against their continued inclusion on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism and categorized the meeting as an effort to maintain political dialogue despite what they termed “complex bilateral relations.”

The Backdrop: A Severe Energy Crisis

Ratcliffe’s visit occurred during a period of intense domestic turmoil in Cuba. Just a day prior to the meeting, Cuba’s Energy Minister announced that the island had completely run out of diesel and fuel oil reserves, leading to massive power grid failures and widespread street protests across Havana. This critical shortage has been heavily exacerbated by a tightened U.S. fuel blockade and recent executive orders targeting the island’s energy imports.

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) May 15, 2026

CIA Director Visits Cuba Amid Crisis  gemini.google.com/share/60d9…

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) May 15, 2026