CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Cuba this week to meet with officials.
The CIA said Ratcliffe traveled to “personally deliver President Trump’s message that the United States is prepared to seriously engage on economic and security issues, but only if Cuba makes fundamental changes,” The Hill reports. “During the meeting, Director Ratcliffe and Cuban officials discussed intelligence cooperation, economic stability, and security issues, all against the backdrop that Cuba can no longer be a safe haven for adversaries in the Western Hemisphere.”
The Cuban government said in a statement that the meeting came at the “request” of the United States and sought to “contribute to political dialogue between both nations, as part of the efforts to face the current scenario.”
“The elements provided by the Cuban side and the exchanges held with the US delegation made it possible to categorically demonstrate that Cuba does not constitute a threat to the national security of the United States, nor are there legitimate reasons to include it on the list of countries that, supposedly, they sponsor terrorism,” the statement read.
President Trump suggested talks with Cuba would be underway. Upon departing for China, he wrote, “No Republican has ever spoken to me about Cuba, which is a failed country and only heading in one direction – down! Cuba is asking for help, and we are going to talk!!! In the meantime, I’m off to China!”
Meanwhile, reports suggest the U.S. is seeking to indict Raúl Castro, the former Cuban president. The indictment reportedly surrounds Castro’s connection with downing planes decades ago.
In March, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the country is preparing for the “possibility of military aggression.”
“We truly hope that there’s no military action and, frankly, we see no reason – we see no justification for military action against Cuba,” he added. “Cuba is a peaceful country. We’re not an enemy of the United States, we don’t pose any threat to the United States. In fact, we said it openly, we would like to have a friendly and respectful relationship with the United States.”
