CIA Director Visits Cuba As The Nation Facing Oil Desert,

Havana/The United States DC; May 2026: CIA Director John Ratcliffe has met with Cuban officials in Havana today (15th May 2026; IST)), the communist government said, as the island endures record energy shortages. The visit comes at a low moment in US-Cuba relations, after the United States have imposed a fuel blockade on its neighbour in January 2026, and President Donald Trump imposing sanctions on the island and mused about taking it over.

The meeting with Ratcliffe took place “in a context marked by the complexity of bilateral relations, with the aim of contributing to the political dialogue between both nations”, a government statement read.

The CIA has not revealed the details of the meetings till the preparation of this report.

The exchanges “made it possible to demonstrate categorically that Cuba does not constitute a threat to US national security, nor are there any legitimate reasons to include it on the list of countries that allegedly sponsor terrorism”, the Cuban statement added. Cuba “has never supported any hostile activity against the United States, nor will it permit actions against any other nation to be carried out from Cuba”, it emphasised, referring to allegations of a Chinese presence.

Meanwhile, the island’s energy crisis has deepened since the US fuel blockade began, with only one Russian oil tanker making it through since then. But those oil reserves have now ‘run out’, Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy told state television, describing the situation as ‘very tense’.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has renewed an offer of $100 million (NZ$169m) in aid on the condition that the assistance be distributed by the Catholic Church, bypassing the government, Maverick News 30 reported.

In a post on X, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel urged the United States to instead lift its blockade.

“The damage could be eased in a much simpler and faster way by lifting or relaxing the blockade, since it is known that the humanitarian situation is coldly calculated and induced”, he said. But, if The United States showed ‘true willingness’ to provide aid, he added, “it will encounter no obstacles or ingratitude from Cuba”. Despite tensions, intergovernmental talks are ongoing, with a high-level diplomatic meeting taking place in Havana on 10 April – the first time a US government plane landed in the Cuban capital since 2016.

Yesterday, on 14th May 2026 – Eastern Cuba had plunged into the latest outage affecting the whole country, with power returning to some areas later in the day. The crisis prompted protests on the island. A resident of San Miguel del Padron, a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Havana, told media reporters that people had protested by banging pots and pans on Wednesday evening. Several other similar small demonstrations were held in neighbourhoods across the capital according to local media reports.

“Turn on the lights!” shouted residents in Playa, in the western part of the city. As Maverick News 30 have earlier reported that prolonged blackouts and record generation shortfalls in recent days; while 65% of Cuban territory endured simultaneous blackouts yesterday.

“It’s a broken, nonfunctional economy, and it’s impossible to change it. I wish it were different”, Marco Rubio briefed media reporters on-board Air Force One while flying to Beijing, adding further, “I don’t think we’re going to be able to change the trajectory of Cuba as long as these people are in charge”.

Team Maverick.