Cuba investigates US diplomats 'incidents'

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On Wednesday, Cuba said it was investigating allegations by the United States that unspecified "incidents" caused physical symptoms in Americans serving at the U.S. Embassy in Havana, after two Washington-based Cuban diplomats were expelled.

"Cuba has never, nor would it ever, allow the Cuban territory to be used for any action against accredited diplomatic agents or their families," the foreign ministry said in a statement late Wednesday. "It reiterates its willingness to cooperate in the clarification of this situation."

Havana said it had started a "comprehensive, priority and urgent investigation" into the alleged incidents after it had been informed of them by the embassy in February.

The United States said earlier it had expelled two Washington-based Cuban diplomats in May after unspecified "incidents" caused physical symptoms in Americans serving at the US Embassy in Havana that an unnamed official said included hearing loss.

An exterior view of the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba, June 19, 2017. /Reuters Photo

US State Department spokeswoman, Heather Nauert told reporters on Wednesday the exact nature of the incidents was unclear, but the Americans serving in Cuba returned to the United States for non-life-threatening "medical reasons."

The United States first learned of the issues at the embassy in late 2016, the representative from the State Department stated.

"We don't have any definitive answers about the source or the cause of what we consider to be incidents," Nauert said.

"It's caused a variety of physical symptoms in these American citizens who work for the US government. We take those incidents very seriously, and there is an investigation currently underway.

As a result, the United States on May 23 asked two Cuban officials in Washington to leave the country and they have done so, Nauert said.

"What this requires is providing medical examinations to these people," Nauert said. "Initially, when they'd started reporting what I will just call symptoms, it took time to figure out what it was, and this is still ongoing. So we're monitoring it."

AFP Photo

A US government official said several colleagues at the US embassy in Havana were evacuated back to the United States for hearing problems and other symptoms over the past six months. Some subsequently got hearing aids, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Washington and Havana re-established diplomatic relations in 2015 after more than five decades of hostilities, re-opening embassies in each other's capitals and establishing a new chapter of engagement between the former Cold War foes.

President Donald Trump rolled back part of his predecessor Barack Obama's policy toward Cuba, but has left in place many of the changes, including the re-opened US Embassy in Havana.

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Source(s): Reuters