CIA chief visits Cuba as Trump urges sweeping changes for talks

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Source: Reuters

HAVANA/WASHINGTON May 14 (Reuters) - CIA director John Ratcliffe on Thursday delivered a message from President Donald Trump to top Cuban officials in Havana that the U.S. would "seriously engage" on economic and security issues "only if it makes ‌fundamental changes," a CIA official told Reuters.

Ratcliffe’s trip appeared to be the first visit by a CIA director to Cuba ‌since the 1953 communist revolution, underscoring a rare moment of high-level contact between the two countries.

The CIA official, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not elaborate on the specific changes ​that Trump was demanding.

Ratcliffe arrived amid mounting tensions between Washington and Havana.

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/cia-director-meets-with-top-officials-in-havana-cuban-government-says-210514838.html

[Deuxcents]

1. I'm sure there's more diplomatic ways to encourage change but this administration prefers to demand

[ancianita]

2. Based on what I've learned from Cubans during my two 10-day trips to Cuba (2009 Havana & surrounding provinces, 2018

Santiago and surrounding provinces), is that Cuba's economic policy is that it will do business with any companies from the U.S. as long as they own 51% of those companies' business done in Cuba. No U.S. corporations have agreed to this.

Is what I learned connected to this?

CIA director John Ratcliffe on Thursday delivered a message from President Donald Trump to top Cuban officials in Havana that the U.S. would "seriously engage" on economic and security issues "only if it makes ‌fundamental changes," a CIA official told Reuters.

I don't know. But I wouldn't put it past trump to try to change Cuba's economic policy on doing business with U.S. capitalist corporations in order to somehow benefit his family syndicate. If he tries to broker a deal on behalf of other corporate interests, it's because they don't mind enriching him to do it. Over and above the $4+ billion he's already made since Jan 2025. It's also possible he's helping Putin keep the Russian embassy furthering Kremlin interests in the Americas.

What could he offer Cuba? Oil, tourism and travel to the U.S. for Cubans already in the U.S.