While CIA chief John Ratcliffe appears in Havana, former president Raul Castro appears to be increasingly in the crosshairs of the American justice system.
On Thursday, Ratcliffe conveyed the clear position of US President Donald Trump. As an anonymous CIA official told Reuters, the United States will only be ready to engage “seriously” on economic and security issues if Cuba makes “fundamental changes.”
Despite ongoing talks, the US Department of Justice intends to indict former Cuban leader Raul Castro. The date remains unclear, but – as a ministry representative familiar with the matter said on Thursday – everything indicates that this may happen soon.
According to CBS, it is about the shooting down of the planes of the humanitarian organization “Brothers to the Rescue” in 1996. The indictment would still have to be approved by the grand jury.
US President Donald Trump has introduced a blockade of fuel supplies.
Countries supplying fuel to communist Cuba are to be subject to the threat of American sanctions, which is another element of Washington's tightening policy towards Havana. However, the effects of the new restrictions are already clearly felt by ordinary residents of the island. After power outages lasting up to 24 hours, widespread protests broke out in Havana on Wednesday evening.
People took to the streets frustrated by the lack of electricity, the deteriorating economic situation and increasingly difficult living conditions. Cries of opposition to the authorities were heard in many parts of the city, and social tension visibly increased.
Burning piles of garbage due to ongoing power outages and fuel shortages, Havana, Cuba, May 9, 2026.MAGDALENA CHODOWNIK / ANADOLU / ANADOLU VIA AFP / AFP / AFP
The Cuban Minister of Energy and Mines announced that the country's supplies of diesel and heating oil have practically been exhausted, which further deepens the energy crisis that has been going on for months. Due to fuel shortages, many power plants are unable to operate at full capacity, and residents increasingly have to deal with long-hour power outages.
According to the authorities, the situation of the Cuban energy network is currently “critical” and the country is on the verge of a serious infrastructure collapse.
According to a CIA representative, the talks held in Havana focused primarily on issues related to “intelligence cooperation, economic stability and security.”
According to the US, Washington expects more decisive action from the Cuban authorities and a clear change in its current policy.
The CIA representative also emphasized that Cuba could no longer remain a “safe haven for adversaries operating in the Western Hemisphere”, which was perceived as a clear warning to the communist authorities in Havana.
Havana confirms meeting with Ratcliffe
The Cuban government officially confirmed the visit of the head of the CIA to Havana.
The communist authorities emphasized that Cuba does not pose any threat to the national security of the United States and does not carry out any activities against the United States. Havana argues that it is ready to conduct dialogue and talks to improve relations between the two countries, but at the same time it firmly opposes American pressure and sanctions policy.
The Cuban authorities have been claiming for years that the restrictions imposed by Washington are deepening the economic crisis on the island and primarily affecting ordinary citizens who are already struggling with food and fuel shortages and frequent power outages.
Last week, Cuba officially confirmed talks with the US administration for the first time.
The aim of these talks is to find a solution to the bilateral disputes between our countries through dialogue
President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on state television.
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