CIA director traveled to Cuba and conveyed Trump's warning to the regime

John Ratcliffe, director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), led a U.S. delegation that met with Cuban officials in Havana. The meeting took place as tensions grew between the regime and the Trump Administration over the future of the island nation.

As reported by journalist Barak Ravid of Axios, the meeting was attended by Raúl Rodríguez Castro, Raúl Castro's grandson, Interior Minister Lázaro Álvarez Casas, and the head of Cuban intelligence services. Ratcliffe conveyed to them that President Donald Trump is "prepared to seriously engage on economic and security issues, but only if Cuba makes fundamental changes."

"Following the request submitted by the US government that a delegation presided over by the CIA Director John Ratcliffe be received in Havana, the Revolutionary Directorate approved the realization of this visit and the meeting with its counterpart from the Ministry of the Interior," reads a communiqué published by the Cuban regime.

In addition, according to the missive, Cuban officials assured during the meeting that the regime does not represent a threat to U.S. national security, as had been asserted just days before by the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth.

"The elements provided by the Cuban side and the exchanges held with the U.S. delegation made it possible to categorically demonstrate that Cuba does not constitute a threat to the national security of the U.S., nor are there legitimate reasons to include it on the list of countries that, allegedly, sponsor terrorism," the press release added.

Joining the list of countries sponsoring terrorism entails a series of economic consequences, including the cut-off of economic aid, arms embargoes, limitations on military cooperation and greater obstacles to accessing international financing.

The news comes as the Trump Administration finds itself putting pressure on an increasingly economically weakened Cuban regime. The energy situation on the island worsened after the capture of Nicolás Maduro by the United States, since much of the energy consumed by Cubans came from Venezuela at very low cost.

President Trump went so far as to assure that the United States was ready to dialogue with the regime about the future of the island, even speaking of a "new dawn". "Cuba is asking for help, and we're going to talk! Meanwhile, I'm off to China!", Trump wrote in a Truth Social post before leaving for his meeting with Xi Jinping.