Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel called on the United States to lift its blockade on the island, stating it would be more beneficial than offering aid amidst worsening power cuts. This statement coincided with a meeting between CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Cuban officials.

The US should lift its blockade on Cuba rather than offer aid to the struggling island, President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Thursday, as the country endures worsening power cuts. His comments came the same day CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Cuban officials in Havana. The meeting took place “in a context marked by the complexity of bilateral relations, with the aim of contributing to the political dialogue between both nations”, a Cuban government statement read. Exchanges “made it possible...