On Thursday, the Havana airport received the first U.S. government aircraft since 2016, marking a development in efforts to improve bilateral relations between the United States and Cuba. During this visit, John Ratcliffe, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)—an agency frequently accused by the Cuban government of sabotage—arrived in Cuba.
The Cuban government stated that the Revolutionary Directorate approved the visit and subsequent meeting at the request of the U.S. government. The delegation included the CIA director and a colleague from the Ministry of the Interior.
During the discussions, Cuban officials emphasized that Cuba does not constitute a threat to U.S. national security. Furthermore, they asserted that there are no valid grounds for including Cuba on the U.S.
list of countries that support terrorism. The Cuban government maintained its position that it has not been involved in any acts of terrorism. The visit represents a notable diplomatic engagement, allowing high-ranking U.S.
intelligence officials to meet with Cuban counterparts amid ongoing efforts to normalize or improve diplomatic ties between the two nations.
