CIA chief visits Cuba as the island's energy crisis worsens
The CIA director's reported visit to Havana came after the United States renewed an offer of aid to ease the effects of its oil blockade. Blackouts and fuel queues are widening as Cubans continue to protest in the streets. Washington has opened an unusual back-channel with the island's government.
The reported visit by the CIA director to Havana came after the United States renewed an offer of humanitarian aid to ease the impact of its oil blockade on Cuba. The BBC said the talks went through a direct government channel and travelled along an intelligence line rather than a diplomatic one. The details have not been officially confirmed.
On the island, daily blackouts now exceed eight hours, factories are cutting back production and hospitals are relying on generators. Queues at fuel stations stretch overnight in many districts of the capital, and pharmacies report dwindling medicine stocks. Street protests that started last week in several provinces have foregrounded economic demands.
The visit is being read against Washington's concern over rising Chinese and Russian engagement in the region. The aid package on offer reportedly covers customs exemptions, food shipments and medical supplies. The Havana government has not yet released an official position on the proposed conditions.
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