Topline
CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Cuba on Thursday, according to multiple reports, meeting with officials amid high tensions between the U.S. and Cuba fanned by President Donald Trump’s suggestion of a “friendly takeover.”
Ratcliffe made the visit to Cuba on Thursday.
Photo by Molly Riley/The White House via Getty Images
Key Facts
The Cuban government acknowledged the visit in a statement, saying the meeting allowed it to “demonstrate” that it is not a security threat to the U.S. or a state sponsor of terrorism—a designation made by the Trump administration in 2021.
The statement added Cuba does not “harbor, support, finance, or permit terrorist or extremist organizations,” as the U.S. said during talks the island cannot continue to be a “safe haven for adversaries in the Western Hemisphere,” according to the Associated Press, which cited a CIA official.
Ratcliffe’s visit was conducted to inform Cuba the U.S. is prepared to discuss economic and security issues “only if Cuba makes fundamental changes,” the official told the Associated Press.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said on X that Cuba is open to receiving aid, particularly “fuels, food, and medicines,” but noted tensions could be alleviated quicker if the U.S. lifted or eased an oil blockade it imposed against Cuba earlier this year.
What Has Trump Said About Taking Over Cuba?
The president told reporters in February the U.S. “could very well end up having a friendly takeover of Cuba,” saying the country, which has been slammed by an energy crisis, was “in big trouble” and had “no money” as they engaged in talks with the U.S. While Trump did not explicitly lay out a military or political plan for how his proposed takeover may be carried out, the comments came after the U.S. had recently captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a military operation. In March, Trump called Cuba a “failed nation” and said he believed he would have the “honor of taking Cuba… that’s a big honor.”
What Has Cuba Said About Trump Floating A Takeover?
Díaz-Canel has said the U.S. “publicly threatens Cuba, almost daily, with overthrowing the constitutional order by force,” accusing the U.S. of using the “outrageous” justification that Cuba’s economy is weak. He added in his statement that an invasion would be met with “an impregnable resistance.” Díaz-Canel, who is the “First Secretary” of the Communist Party of Cuba, also told NBC News last month he had “no fear” and is “willing to give my life for the revolution.”
Key Background
U.S. and Cuban relations have strained further in the face of Trump’s decision to impose an oil blockade against the country, which said its oil reserves have depleted. Trump established the oil blockade in an executive order that said Cuba posed an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the U.S. by allegedly hosting U.S. adversaries like Russia and China and by providing a safe haven for terrorist groups. The U.S. has also issued secondary sanctions against Cuba that allows the U.S. Treasury to penalize foreign companies and financial institutions that do significant business with Cuba.
Further Reading
Russia Says Its Oil Tanker Has Arrived In Cuba After Trump Appears To Ease Blockade (Forbes)