US High-Level Delegation Visits Havana — First Since Obama Era

A senior US State Department delegation arrived in Havana for one of the highest-level US–Cuba contacts in nearly a decade — the first time a US government aircraft touched down on the island since President Obama's 2016 visit. The delegation held discussions that included proposals for bringing Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet to Cuba, compensation for US entities for properties confiscated after 1959, release of political prisoners, and expanded political freedoms. US officials reportedly conveyed that time was 'running out' for Cuba to make key US-backed reforms before circumstances 'irreversibly worsen.' The visit followed months of an effective energy blockade that cut off Venezuelan oil to Cuba, causing nationwide daily blackouts and a deepening humanitarian crisis. Cuba requested that the oil blockade be lifted as a precondition for meaningful talks.