CIA Chief John Ratcliffe Makes Surprise Visit to Cuba Amid Power Crisis

CIA Director John Ratcliffe conducted a surprise diplomatic visit to Havana, meeting with senior Cuban officials including Interior Minister Lázaro Álvarez Casas. The talks, requested by the US government, aimed to convey President Donald Trump’s stance that the US is ready to address economic and security issues only if Cuba implements fundamental changes. Havana used the opportunity to assert that it poses no threat to US national security and argued for its removal from the US state sponsors of terrorism list, denying support for hostile activities. Concurrently, Cuba faces a severe domestic crisis as its power grid collapsed in eastern provinces, causing widespread blackouts and sparking protests in Havana. The energy shortage is exacerbated by dilapidated infrastructure and fuel shortages, with Russian oil aid delayed. This diplomatic engagement occurs against a backdrop of heightened tensions, following Trump’s re-imposition of sanctions and threats against countries supplying oil to Cuba in early 2025.