CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Havana, Cuba, on Thursday for a rare meeting with senior Cuban officials, an agency official told CBS News, using the visit to deliver a message that the U.S. was prepared to expand economic and security engagement with Cuba if Havana “makes fundamental changes.”
The meeting came as Cuba is contending with a massive power failure to its national energy grid amid U.S. sanctions that have caused an oil and gas shortage crisis to the island nation.
Ratcliffe met with Raúl Rodriguez Castro — the grandson of former Cuban President Raúl Castro.
Multiple U.S. officials later confirmed to CBS News Thursday that the U.S. is taking steps to indict the 94-year-old Raúl Castro in connection with Cuba’s deadly 1996 shootdown of planes operated by humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue. Raúl Castro is the brother of Fidel Castro.
Also in Thursday’s meeting were Cuban Interior Minister Lazaro Alvarez Casas and the head of Cuba’s intelligence services, the CIA official said, adding the group “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.”
Ratcliffe told Cuban leaders the administration was offering “a genuine opportunity for collaboration” and a chance to stabilize Cuba’s struggling economy, while cautioning that the opportunity would not remain open indefinitely and the administration would enforce “red lines” if necessary, the official said.
The meeting in Havana follows a series of public comments from President Trump that talks with Cuba were imminent. Earlier this week, Mr. Trump said “Cuba is asking for help,” and indicated talks would begin “at the right time.”
Cuban officials publicly confirmed Thursday’s meeting, characterizing it as part of efforts to maintain political dialogue despite what Havana called “complex bilateral relations.”
Cuban state media said officials had sought to convince the U.S. delegation that Cuba does not threaten American national security and should be removed from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Earlier this week, the State Department renewed an offer to provide an additional $100 million in direct humanitarian aid to the Cuban people through the Catholic Church and other independent groups, saying the assistance could move forward if Havana permitted it. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Cuba’s government of blocking aid and refusing offers of support, including satellite internet access, amid the island’s deepening economic crisis.
Cuban authorities said the island nation’s national energy grid suffered a major failure early Thursday that severed power to the island’s eastern provinces. Cuba’s leaders have said they would accept the aid as long as it comes “in full conformity with the universally recognized practices for humanitarian assistance.”
In January, Ratcliffe traveled to Caracas to meet with Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez, marking the first Cabinet-level U.S. visit since the American operation that removed former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
U.S. officials at the time said Ratcliffe carried a message from Mr. Trump that Washington was open to an “improved working relationship,” while warning Venezuela could no longer serve as a haven for narcotraffickers and other U.S. adversaries.
Trump administration officials have increasingly framed Cuba, along with Venezuela, as part of a wider geopolitical contest in the Western Hemisphere involving China, Russia and Iran.
