Do you rely on spies? In Cuba, Trump is again looking to the head of the CIA, instead of a spokesman, to deliver the message
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It was a not-so-secret meeting, which saw US President Donald Trump, not for the first time, send the head of the Central Intelligence Agency to attend and deliver a message on his behalf.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s visit to Havana to meet with Cuban officials on Thursday was revealed by both sides, and seems to leave behind the usual practices when the leader of this spy agency goes abroad.
“The CIA director’s travels are often secret,” said a former US official Cécile Shea, when she spoke on German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. “The fact that it’s coming from both sides … it’s unusual.”
The CIA even released footage of Ratcliffe’s meeting with Cuban officials, and at least one reporter took pictures of the spy chief boarding his flight home from a US government plane parked on a tarmac in Havana.
The Cuban government also did not hide the presence of the meeting, issuing a statement saying that the US had asked for it to take place. Officials there said they presented evidence to the US that Cuba “is not a threat to US national security.”
The consistent message that Ratcliffe brought to Trump – according to undisclosed CIA officials who spoke to the press – was that the US is willing to negotiate with Havana on important issues, but only if “fundamental changes” are made in Cuba.
Observers see Trump’s decision to send a spy chief to sit down with Cuba as an indication that there is a president who does not trust the traditional ambassador to get the job done, while he has been vocal about his choice of envoy.
“Using CIA assets instead of US diplomats is intended to increase pressure on the Cuban government and show Washington’s seriousness.,” Imdat Oner, executive officer at Florida International University and a former Turkish ambassador who served in Latin America, he said in an email.
The Trump administration has been increasing pressure on Cuba this year, extending sanctions against its government, threatening to go to war with it, flying spy planes over the island and suppressing its ability to buy fuel. As the week drew to a close, reports emerged that the Trump administration was planning to seek the trial of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro.
It is reported that the Department of Justice in the US will study the case of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, who is the brother of Fidel Castro. The director of the CIA is currently visiting Cuba as the US blackout is causing a fuel crisis on the island.
The Cuban government has criticized the continued actions of the US, but has struggled to manage the growing challenges to its economy, fuel supply and the ability to deliver services to its people.
It’s not really unusual
Retired US ambassador Lawrence Gumbiner sees Trump’s decision to send a spy chief to deliver his talking points as consistent with his style of sending handpicked envoys abroad – such as his son-in-law Jared Kushner or Steve Witkoff – rather than diplomats.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Cuban officials, including the grandson of Raúl Castro, during his visit to the island, Cuban and US officials said. Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on any country that exports fuel to Cuba.
“President Trump values credibility more than his experience and uses his staff regardless of the usual roles of officials,” said Gumbiner, who previously served as the head of the US Embassy in Havana.
“The White House does not trust American ambassadors, and Trump often turns to non-traditional ambassadors,” he said in an email.
Gumbiner noted that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio – who accompanied Trump on his visit to China – had been involved in the Cuban issue and is likely to participate in any major negotiations to come.
Gumbiner also pointed out that it is unusual for a spy chief to talk to foreign leaders.
“Although rare, sending a CIA officer on diplomatic missions is not unheard of so it is not surprising.,” Gumbiner said, pointing to the world tour that Ratcliffe’s predecessor, William J. Burns, who served as ambassador for jobs, was sent during the presidency of Joe Biden.
Gumbiner said Burns’ ““great communication skills” allowed Biden to rely on him on critical issues around the world.
News reports from Burns’ time as a CIA officer, identified him as meeting, at various locations, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Taliban political leader Abdul Ghani Baradar, among others.
Trump, Venezuela and the CIA
Earlier this year, Ratcliffe was sent to another such meeting with a foreign leader: He was in Caracas less than two weeks after the ouster of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, to meet with Delcy Rodríguez and other officials.
Reuters, citing a US official, then reported that Trump targeted Ratcliffe “to convey the message that the United States is looking forward to an improved working relationship. “
Florida International University Oner believes that Trump sees the possibility of the US achieving similar results in Cuba to what happened in Venezuela – and the CIA was part of what was achieved in Caracas.
“In Venezuela, Trump similarly relied on CIA channels to pressure Maduro and explore operational options,” said One.
In the case of Cuba, Oner said “tThe CIA is openly investigating the power within the regime and assessing whether elements within the Cuban power structure are willing to negotiate political change..
“As in Venezuela, the expectation in Washington is to weaken or remove the existing ruling circle and replace it with a leadership that is more open to cooperation with the United States, politically, economically, and strategically.”
