CIA chief visits Cuba as energy crisis worsens

President Miguel Díaz-Cánel wrote on social media that the energy crisis has a single cause: the 'genocidal energy blockade' by the United States and called for de-escalation.

The article notes a potential indictment concerning Cuba's 1996 deadly shooting down of a plane operated by the humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue over international waters.

Cuba and the United States acknowledged earlier this year that they were in talks, but negotiations appeared to stall as the oil blockade wore on.

Rodríguez’s remarks followed warnings from Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy that Cuba had completely run out of diesel and fuel oil and that the energy system was in a 'critical' state due to the blockade.

Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said it was unclear whether the aid would be cash or in-kind, but emphasized that de-escalating energy, economic, commercial, and financial blockade measures would be the best way for the US to help.

The US State Department said aid would be distributed in coordination with the Catholic Church and other reliable independent humanitarian organizations, bypassing the Cuban government.

The United States renewed its offer of $100 million in aid to ease the effects of the oil blockade on Cuba.

The delegation met to personally deliver President Trump's message, according to the CIA official.

The participants discussed intelligence cooperation, economic stability, and security issues, with officials noting that Cuba can no longer be a safe haven for adversaries in the Western Hemisphere.

CIA director John Ratcliffe met his Cuban counterpart at the interior ministry in Havana after the US renewed an offer of $100 million in aid to ease the effects of Cuba's oil blockade; a Cuban statement framed the meeting as an attempt to improve dialogue and said Havana was not a threat to US national security.

The article reports that Wednesday's protests were the biggest single night of demonstrations in Havana since Cuba's energy crisis began in January, with demonstrators in San Miguel del Padrón shouting for electricity to be restored.

On Wednesday, after the latest power cut affecting large swathes of eastern Cuba as well as parts of the capital, hundreds took to the streets in Havana, blocking roads with burning rubbish and shouting anti-government slogans.