CIA Director Ratcliffe’s Trip to Havana

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at the Trump administration ’s push for major reforms in Cuba , Russia ’s heaviest bombardment of Kyiv this year, and South Africa ’s resurfaced “Farmgate” scandal. CIA director John Ratcliffe traveled to Havana on Thursday to personally deliver a message from President Donald Trump. “The United States is prepared to seriously engage on economic and security issues, but only if Cuba makes fundamental changes,” a CIA official told Fox News .

For months, the Trump administration has pushed for regime change in Cuba as part of the White House’s larger “Donroe Doctrine.” “I don’t think we’re going to be able to change the trajectory of Cuba as long as these people are in charge in that regime,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday. Washington has long designated Havana as a state sponsor of terrorism. In January, Trump accused Russia and China of operating intelligence posts out of Cuba, though both countries denied the claim. Meanwhile, the United States has increased its own military and intelligence reconnaissance flights around the island to prepare for a larger U.S. military buildup in the region. “What is happening in Cuba is unacceptable, and it is a threat to the U.S. to have a failed state 90 miles from our coast,” Rubio said on Friday. Ratcliffe’s trip to Havana signaled growing U.S. interest to ramp up Trump’s regime-change ambitions. Its timing was also noteworthy, as it came just hours after Havana announced that it had run out of fuel due to the United States’ ongoing energy blockade of the island. “We have absolutely no fuel oil, absolutely no diesel,” Cuban Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy said .

Key points

• For months, the Trump administration has pushed for regime change in Cuba as part of the White House’s larger “Donroe Doctrine.” “I don’t think we’re going to be able to change the trajectory of Cu…
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday.
• Washington has long designated Havana as a state sponsor of terrorism.
• In January, Trump accused Russia and China of operating intelligence posts out of Cuba, though both countries denied the claim.
• Meanwhile, the United States has increased its own military and intelligence reconnaissance flights around the island to prepare for a larger U.S.