In a remarkable development, CIA Director John Ratcliffe travelled to Cuba on Thursday to meet with Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro the grandson of former Cuban President Raúl Castro. Also present at the meeting was Cuban Interior Minister Lazaro Alvarez Casas and the head of Cuba’s intelligence services.
In late April of this year, a few State Department officials visited Havana and held talks with Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro about a potential diplomatic deal. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also previously spoken directly to Mr. Rodríguez Castro who appears to be acting as somewhat of a bridge between the Cuban government and various Trump administration officials.
VIA CUBAN GOVT Press Release – “Based on the request presented by the U.S. government that a delegation headed by the director of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, be received in Havana, the Directorate of the Revolution approved the realization of this visit and the meeting with its counterpart from the Ministry of the Interior.
The meeting took place on Thursday, May 14, in a context characterized by the complexity of bilateral relations, in order to contribute to the political dialogue between the two nations, as part of the efforts to face the current scenario.
The evidence provided by the Cuban side and the exchanges held with the United States delegation made it possible to demonstrate categorically that Cuba does not constitute a threat to the national security of the United States, nor are there any legitimate reasons for including it in the list of countries that allegedly sponsor terrorism.
During the meeting, it was possible to verify the consistency and congruence in the historical position of our country with the actions of the Cuban government and its competent authorities, in the confrontation and unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”
“Once again it was evident that the island does not harbor, support, finance or allow terrorist or extremist organizations; nor are there any military or foreign intelligence bases on its territory, and it has never supported any hostile activity against the United States nor will it allow Cuba to act against another nation.
The interest of both sides in developing bilateral cooperation between law enforcement and enforcement agencies was also evident, based on the security of both nations, regional and international.” (link)
According to CBS News – “CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Havana, Cuba, on Thursday for a rare meeting with senior Cuban officials, an agency official told CBS News, using the visit to deliver a message that the U.S. was prepared to expand economic and security engagement with Cuba if Havana “makes fundamental changes.”
The meeting came as Cuba is contending with a massive power failure to its national energy grid amid U.S. sanctions that have caused an oil and gas shortage crisis to the island nation.
Ratcliffe told Cuban leaders the administration was offering “a genuine opportunity for collaboration” and a chance to stabilize Cuba’s struggling economy, while cautioning that the opportunity would not remain open indefinitely and the administration would enforce “red lines” if necessary, the official said.
The meeting in Havana follows a series of public comments from President Trump that talks with Cuba were imminent. Earlier this week, Mr. Trump said “Cuba is asking for help,” and indicated talks would begin “at the right time.”
Cuban officials publicly confirmed Thursday’s meeting, characterizing it as part of efforts to maintain political dialogue despite what Havana called “complex bilateral relations.” {source}
“The Cuban people should know there’s $100 million of food and medicine available for them right now….”
But they don’t, and the only reason that most of the Cuban people don’t even know about that $100 million in food and medicine is because of the Cuban regime
Yep and of course our so-called free press would never want to tell them because:
1) The somalians, democrats and RINOS stoled it all.
2) They want everyone to suffer except their arrogant asses who sit in their ivory penthouses and lie to the American people every day….day in and day out.
I want to see ALL the FAKE NEWS scumbags begging for mercy when the SHTF.
Cuba could be such a prosperous place.
It was once, when they were free….
I suspect when President Trump selected Marco Rubio for the position of Secretary of State, in part he did so because of what is transpiring now. And I also suspect Secretary Rubio accepted in part because of the hope that what once was would be again.
With God, all things are possible.
Nothing is written in stone…unless He writes it.
Praying that one day, the joyous cheers and tears from freed Cubans will be heard here from coast to coast.
Didn’t notice at first…TRUMP!
Ahh heck, Betsy. Even God had to give Moses a new slab of stone so the people could see the truth so maybe there’s hope after all.
Pelagius wrote, “There is no worst death than the end of hope.”
We must never give it up, THOR. See the faces of people who have. The light of life is gone from them. If you’ve ever seen anyone in that state, the above truth should make us cling harder to it.
Yes. There is so much potential for the rest of the Americas. Voters in Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador and others have elected conservative governments. Rubio should do well.
It’s a strange but wonderful feeling observing these countries begin to throw off their chains. All down to President Trump. Of this there is no question.
While in this country the Marxist/Communist forces being repudiated in those nations are working overtime to turn America into the hellholes we are watching slowly being drained elsewhere…
Ironic or what…
I worked in Miami with lot’s of young men my age who fled Cuba with their parents in 1959. One was sent alone to Nebraska on a Peter Pan flight. All were Cubans of European White Hispanic, French and German descent.
It will be. Change is coming.
So it sounds like the offer has, what I call, a ‘half life’…lets hope they choose wisely…to benefit all….
Make Cuban sandwiches, great again! On Cuban bread…(which is just as good as Micha bread)….!
Occasionally, Publix makes the Cuban sanwhich…
When l go back home to Fl. ….cuban bread is all i bring back with me to ohio…. to make real cuban sandwiches….
“Five Brothers” coffee sandwich shop in Key West makes a pretty good one if you can’t get to Cuba. But the cafe con leche is the real deal. The dude stands there pouring cream and coffee simultaneously into a pitcher and that’s what you get.
Disclaimer: This was 9-10 years ago so things may not be quite the same now. Wink, wink,
I was just about to say – Cuban coffee yummmmm!
But wait, I thought Robert Redford and Sean Penn told us Cuba was a worker’s paradise with great health care! We in the west should be so lucky! Even Obama visited and took in a ball game. Nothing to see here!
Those who advocate for socialism do not want to actually live under it. They desire to keep their personal affluent and privileged lifestyle (typically in upper-scale neighborhoods with fancy boutiques and expensive restaurants), while expecting everyone else to live under the heel of Socialism.
Comrade! You remember no such thing! Put that memory down The Memory Hole!
If you remember MAObama acting like a dictator, put that down The Memory Hole!
If you remember MAObama bowing deeply to an Islamic dictator, put that down The Memory Hole!
You must forget many things, in order to be a True Comrade of Communism!
Don’t forget Michael Moore and his stupid propaganda documentary Sicko and Cuba’s supposedly great health system.
Karen Bass loves Cuba!
The Iranian regime would be proud of the Cuban press release. It was seemingly worded by like minds
The CIA Director is now negotiating foreign policy. Hummmmm.
Peculiar and telling.
We will know the reason why, without being told, in how far Cuba bends the knee to the U.S. IC.
I’m intrigued to see the outcome of this meeting.
Intriguing thought MA, if he is indeed negotiating foreign policy. Time will tell…
*how’s Pa?
Walking AND Chewing Gum at the same time.
While POTUS works Asia, VPOTUS runs the country in his stead AND manhandles the Fraud eradication efforts, and DCIA begins unparalleled shaping efforts in the Caribbean while Ukraine and Iran marinate to a palatable outcome.
We are witnessing Trump Warp Speed. Pity the Dems (actually don’t) as issue overload puts their brains into looping resets of uselessness and irrelevance. And the Media can’t even find a cycle to chase to create a proper cycle.
It’s seems clear to me that the President has given several big assignments out to the others. This is how it should be. He has assembled a very top-notch team.
U.S. officials are taking steps to indict Raúl Castro, the 94-year-old former president of Cuba and brother of Fidel Castro, in connection with the downing of planes 30 years ago, CBS News reports.
https://nitter.poast.org/Osint613/status/2055064573317730434#m
To the current leaders of Cuba, take your money, you have enough and throw in the towel.
To the current leaders of Cuba, let the people have a life. You never gave them one. It’s over.
Enough talk. Send in Seal Team 666 and let the party begin.
That street picture reminds me of the old Mission: Impossible TV series when episodes involved some banana republic. Laundry hanging on the line on the balcony in the background, wires going all over the place, and not much happening on the street.
The American people have always been a generous people. There is no comparable example in history of a conquering nation (the U.S.) not only leaving the conquered (the Axis powers) independent, but subsequently furnishing massive economic and military aid that enabled its former adversaries to compete successfully against the conquering nations’ own industries. As I said, we are generous.
But we are also a country deeply in debt, running deficits that are now approaching two trillion dollars a year. No country, not even one as economically dominant as the U.S., can sustain such outlays.
So, it’s in that context that I say that the truth of the old maxim that “charity begins at home” begins to be appreciated. Not because we do not want to be generous – helping those in need is a good impulse and should not be stifled. But if you do it at the cost of impoverishing your own people, then far from being driven by humanitarian impulses, the driver becomes foolish hubris and even vanity. And the leaders of such a country show a profound lack of gratitude for the hard working citizens of said country whose efforts built an economy that reached a position where the country could afford to be generous.
Finally, I’m reminded of the passage from the scriptures: “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (I Timothy 5:8) The principle applies here. It strains credulity to advance the notion that you are deeply concerned for the plight of your neighbor when you’ve failed to provide for the welfare of those closest to you. Because if you do not, who will? Your faux concern then is shown to be vanity. The U.S. is in that position now. Billions for Ukraine (while congressional poseurs drape themselves in the Ukraine flag) while thousands of Americans are homeless in the streets. Millions for Cuba while millions of Americans are struggling to make ends meet after years of government-induced reckless runaway inflation. Where is the compassion for our own?
Compassion begins at home. Provide for the citizens who’ve entrusted their livelihoods to this country, stop treating them as a bottomless piggy bank to be fleeced to make yourself feel good about yourself or to win international brownie points, then we can see about helping others whose own governments have failed them. Otherwise, we are no better than those governments and have no reason to pat ourselves on the back.
J
Ten minutes…tops..to take Cuba. GITMO is right down the street. Move 10,000 out of Germany to GITMO.