CIA director has met officials in Havana for talks, Cuba claims

On 14 May 2026, the Cuban government said CIA Director John Ratcliffe met top officials in Havana. CNN reported that Cuba said Ratcliffe met with the interior minister. The Financial Times and France 24 described it as a rare visit, and Daily Sabah wrote that he attended talks with Cuban officials.

The visit came as Cuba’s energy crisis worsened and the island ran out of oil, according to the New York Times, BBC and France 24. Reuters reported that Trump urged sweeping changes in Cuba, and CNN wrote that the US was ramping up pressure with a potential Castro indictment following the visit. El Mundo reported that the CIA director landed by surprise in Havana amid protests.