CIA chief in Havana for talks as U.S.-Cuba tensions persist

CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Cuban officials in Havana, including Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, interior minister Lázaro Álvarez Casas, and the head of Cuba’s intelligence services, to discuss intelligence cooperation, economic stability and security. The visit carried a message that the United States is willing to engage on economic and security issues only if Cuba makes fundamental changes, while Cuba pushed back against being a threat and urged an end to the U.S. energy blockade as Cuba’s power grid remains strained. The talks come amid ongoing tensions, with the U.S. offering humanitarian aid and satellite internet if allowed.