breaking

CIA Director's Cuba Visit Signals U.S. Willingness to Engage on Conditions

CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Cuba on Thursday in what marks only the second visit by a U.S. intelligence chief to the Caribbean nation since the 1959 communist revolution. Ratcliffe conveyed Washington's readiness to "seriously engage" with Havana's government, contingent on "fundamental changes" to its political system. Cuban officials responded by emphasizing both nations' shared interest in law enforcement cooperation and regional security matters. The visit comes as the U.S. military has conducted dozens of intelligence-gathering flights near Cuba's major cities since February. The Trump administration has designated Cuba's government "an unusual and extraordinary threat." Cuba faces severe energy shortages following a January military operation targeting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, which effectively severed the island's oil supply. Blackouts lasting up to 22 hours daily have triggered civil unrest in Havana.