The director of CIA, John Ratcliffe, visited the Cuban officials to talk about the possibility of giving $100 million worth of aid to the country, which is facing an acute energy crisis. However, Cuba believes that lifting the 'oil blockade' would be far better than giving any kind of aid from the United States, which is provided through third-party organizations. The tension between the countries is likely to escalate even further because the US is preparing to charge the 94-year-old Raúl Castro for the downing of two American planes in 1996.