1 of 2 | CIA Director John Ratcliffe (L) meets with high-level Cuban officials Thursday in Havana to discuss economic and security issues. Photo via CIA/UPI | License Photo
May 15 (UPI) -- CIA Director John Ratcliffe's visit to Havana this week opened a new political chapter inside and outside Cuba, with analysts and opposition figures interpreting the meeting as a sign of direct pressure from Washington on a regime battered by massive blackouts, fuel shortages and an increasingly deep economic crisis.
The trip marked an unusual development in bilateral relations. The Cuban government confirmed that a U.S. delegation led by Ratcliffe met with his counterpart Thursday at Cuba's Interior Ministry.
Washington had requested the meeting, which was approved by "the leadership of the Revolution," according to the state-run newspaper Granma.
The CIA released photos of the meeting -- "the most significant milestone so far in the two months of opaque negotiations taking place between Washington and Havana," Spanish newspaper El País reported.
