HAVANA, May 15, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Cuban officials in Havana on Thursday as a way to improve dialogue between the United States and the communist-run island, the Cuban government said.

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 government statement read.

The Central Intelligence Agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Exchanges "made it possible to demonstrate categorically that Cuba does not constitute a threat to US national security, nor are there any legitimate reasons to include it on the list of countries that allegedly sponsor terrorism," the Cuban statement added.

Cuba "has never supported any hostile activity against the United States, nor will it permit actions against any other nation to be carried out from Cuba," the statement emphasized, referring to allegations of a Chinese presence.

The visit comes as US-Cuba relations have deteriorated significantly, after Washington imposed a fuel blockade in January, and President Donald Trump has slapped sanctions on the island and mused about taking it over.

Conditions on the island are poor, with regular power outages and supply shortages becoming the norm.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has renewed an offer of $100 million in aid on the condition that the assistance be distributed by the Catholic Church, bypassing the government.

In a post on X, Diaz-Canel urged the United States to instead lift its blockade.

"The damage could be eased in a much simpler and faster way by lifting or relaxing the blockade, since it is known that the humanitarian situation is coldly calculated and induced," he said.

But, if Washington showed "true willingness" to provide aid, he added, "it will encounter no obstacles or ingratitude from Cuba."

Despite tensions, intergovernmental talks are ongoing, with a high-level diplomatic meeting taking place in Havana on April 10 -- the first time a US government plane landed in the Cuban capital since 2016.