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The caput of the CIA visited Cuba connected Thursday (May 15, 2026), an bonzer step-up successful interaction betwixt Washington and Havana arsenic the communist-run land reels from U.S. pressure, declaring that it is retired of oil.
The Central Intelligence Agency, astatine the bosom of the decades-long conflict betwixt the United States and Cuba, confirmed a Cuban authorities connection astir Director John Ratcliffe's visit.
Photos posted by the bureau connected X showed Mr. Ratcliffe alongside respective radical with blurred-out faces gathering with Ramon Romero Curbelo, main of the quality of the Cuban Interior Ministry, and different Cuban officials.
The sojourn comes during a deepening situation successful U.S.-Cuba relations, with the land enduring changeless powerfulness outages prompted by President Donald Trump's substance blockade.
Only 1 tanker from Russia — a historical state of the Cuban authorities — has got through. And that lipid has present "run out," Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy told authorities television. "The interaction of the blockade is so causing america important harm...because we are inactive not receiving fuel."
Mr. Trump has repeatedly signalled that helium wants to topple the communist authorities successful Cuba. According to a study connected CBS News, citing unidentified U.S. officials, the Trump medication is besides seeking to indict Raúl Castro, the 94-year-old member of the precocious Cuban communist person Fidel Castro.
But Cuba framed Mr. Ratcliffe's sojourn arsenic a accidental to calm tensions. The gathering with Mr. Ratcliffe took spot "in a discourse marked by the complexity of bilateral relations, with the purpose of contributing to the governmental dialog betwixt some nations," a authorities connection read.
The exchanges "made it imaginable to show categorically that Cuba does not represent a menace to U.S. nationalist security, nor are determination immoderate morganatic reasons to see it connected the database of countries that allegedly sponsor terrorism," the Cuban connection added.
Cuba "has ne'er supported immoderate hostile enactment against the United States, nor volition it licence actions against immoderate different federation to beryllium carried retired from Cuba," it emphasised, referring to allegations of a Chinese presence.
Blockade
One of Cuba's past economical lifelines was chopped successful January erstwhile U.S. forces toppled the strongman person of oil-rich Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, and instituted a substance blockade.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has renewed an connection of $100 cardinal successful assistance connected the information that the assistance beryllium distributed by the Catholic Church, bypassing the government.
In an interrogation with NBC News that aired connected Thursday (May 14), Mr. Rubio blamed Cuba for the island's existent suffering.
Also Read: Cuban sorrow: On U.S. actions connected Cuba
"The Cuban radical should cognize there's $100 cardinal of nutrient and medicine disposable for them close now," Mr. Rubio said. "It's successful our nationalist involvement to person a prosperous Cuba, not to person a failed authorities 90 miles from our shores."
In a station connected X, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel urged the United States to alternatively assistance its blockade. "The harm could beryllium eased successful a overmuch simpler and faster mode by lifting oregon relaxing the blockade, since it is known that the humanitarian concern is coldly calculated and induced," helium said.
Despite tensions, intergovernmental talks are ongoing, with a high-level diplomatic gathering taking spot successful Havana connected April 10 -- the archetypal clip a U.S. authorities level landed successful the Cuban superior since 2016.
'Turn connected the lights!'
Eastern Cuba was connected Thursday (May 14) plunged into the latest outage affecting the full state connected Thursday (May), with powerfulness returning to immoderate areas aboriginal successful the day.
The situation prompted protests connected the island. A nonmigratory of San Miguel del Padron, a neighbourhood connected the outskirts of Havana, told AFP that radical had protested by banging pots and pans connected Wednesday (May 13) evening.
Several different akin tiny demonstrations were held successful neighbourhoods crossed the capital, according to accounts gathered by AFP.
"Turn connected the lights!" shouted residents successful Playa, successful the occidental portion of the city. Data compiled by AFP showed prolonged blackouts and grounds procreation shortfalls successful caller days. Some 65% of Cuban territory endured simultaneous blackouts connected Tuesday (May 12).
"It's a broken, nonfunctional economy, and it's intolerable to alteration it. I privation it were different," Mr. Rubio told Fox News. "I don't deliberation we're going to beryllium capable to alteration the trajectory of Cuba arsenic agelong arsenic these radical are successful charge."
