CIA Director John Ratcliffe Visits Cuba—As Country Runs Out Of Oil And Trump Floats Takeover

BreakingBusinessCIA Director John Ratcliffe Visits Cuba—As Country Runs Out Of Oil And Trump Floats TakeoverByAntonio Pequeño IV,Forbes Staff. Pequeño is a breaking news reporter who covers tech and more.Follow AuthorMay 14, 2026, 07:48pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.ToplineCIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Cuba on Thursday, according to multiple reports, meeting with officials amid high tensions between the U.S. and Cuba fanned by President Donald Trump’s suggestion of a “friendly takeover.”Ratcliffe made the visit to Cuba on Thursday.Photo by Molly Riley/The White House via Getty ImagesKey FactsThe Cuban government acknowledged the visit in a statement, saying the meeting allowed it to “demonstrate” that it is not a security threat to the U.S. or a state sponsor of terrorism—a designation made by the Trump administration in 2021.The statement added Cuba does not “harbor, support, finance, or permit terrorist or extremist organizations,” as the U.S. said during talks the island cannot continue to be a “safe haven for adversaries in the Western Hemisphere,” according to the Associated Press, which cited a CIA official.Ratcliffe’s visit was conducted to inform Cuba the U.S. is prepared to discuss economic and security issues “only if Cuba makes fundamental changes,” the official told the Associated Press.Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said on X that Cuba is open to receiving aid, particularly “fuels, food, and medicines,” but noted tensions could be alleviated quicker if the U.S. lifted or eased an oil blockade it imposed against Cuba earlier this year. if (!window.cnxel) { window.cnxel = {}; window.cnxel.cmd = []; var iframe = document.createElement('iframe'); iframe.style.display = 'none'; iframe.onload = function() { var iframeDoc = iframe.contentWindow.document; var script = iframeDoc.createElement('script'); script.src = '//cd.elements.video/player.js?cid=62cec241-7...