A high-level U.S. delegation held urgent talks in Havana last week with Cuban officials, pressing for drastic economic and political reforms amid the island's deepening humanitarian crisis.

The meetings, the first American government visit to Cuba outside the Guantanamo Bay naval base since 2016, involved a senior State Department official who met Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, grandson of former leader Raúl Castro and an influential figure in Havana. U.S. officials warned that Cuba's economy is in free fall and emphasized a narrow window for change to avoid the island becoming a national security threat in the region.

Key demands included liberalizing the economy by expanding the private sector, attracting foreign investment, ending political repression, releasing political prisoners, and allowing greater political freedoms. In exchange for easing U.S. sanctions, including the ongoing energy blockade, the U.S. proposed providing free and reliable internet access via Starlink satellites.

The State Department official stated the delegation urged "major changes to its economy and way of governing because it would not let the island nation become a national security threat in the region." Reports also indicated calls for Cuba to compensate Americans whose assets were seized in the 1960s and to transition toward a market-based economy.

Cuba's crises have intensified under a U.S. oil and energy blockade imposed by the Trump administration, which has described the communist government as ineffective and abusive. Power outages, fuel shortages, and economic collapse have prompted mass protests and migration.

President Donald Trump has ramped up pressure, calling Cuba a "failing nation" and "terribly run country," and hinting at intervention after ongoing operations in Iran. "We may stop by Cuba after we finish with this," Trump said this week.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel responded defiantly, confirming earlier talks but rejecting U.S. demands for leadership changes. "In Cuba, those who hold leadership positions are not elected by the U.S. government," he said, adding that Havana is prepared to fight any aggression, referencing the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion. Cuba refused a U.S. request to allow the embassy in Havana to import diesel for generators.

These discussions build on high-level contacts confirmed in March, as the Trump administration pursues regime compliance or change by year's end. Cuban officials have signaled openness to economic cooperation but ruled out altering the political system. No immediate agreements emerged from the Havana meetings, but both sides acknowledged the urgency amid escalating tensions.