Canada Considers Diplomats’ Ailments a Mystery
The Canadian authorities explained that the number Canadian diplomatic personnel in Havana hasn’t changed.
HAVANA TIMES – The Canadian Police investigating the possible causes of the ailments that eight Canadian embassy personnel in Cuba suffered in 2017 and have been qualified as “sonic attacks” by some media, are still considered a mystery, reports the EFE news agency.
Canadian officials offered the first official report on Wednesday about the incidents that have also affected US diplomatic personnel stationed in the Cuban capital.
According to the information provided, a total of 27 Canadians assigned to Cuba have been examined after several of them suffered different unexplained ailments.
Of these 27 individuals, including diplomatic personnel and their families, eight needed health care for symptoms such as dizziness, headaches and nosebleeds.
The Canadian authorities also explained that, so far, the families of three diplomats stationed in Havana have returned to Canada, two of them after suffering symptoms.
The levels of Canadian diplomatic personnel in the Cuban capital has not changed, unlike the US embassy which has virtually shut down over the same mysterious incidents.
There is no direct proof for your theory yet.
But, given the history of ‘dirty tricks’ against Cuba (and throughout Latin America), your theory is by far the most plausible.
If Cuba allowed the USA to dictate again, then all these stories would disappear.
Sad but true.
It may be another 50 years before the official files are released on this specific incedent.
And even then some future ultra-right wing, nut-job President may try to have the juicier parts files redacted.
This has all the characteristics of a “black flag” incident. That is a provocation secretly carried out by elements of the US intelligence community. When Trump took office it would have been difficult to simply reverse Obama’s recognition of diplomatic recognition of Cuba.
But an “incident” supplied the administration with what it was looking for. These security elements want to foment unrest in Cuba. Moving the US visa processing staff to Columbia frustrates Cubans who seek to leave through legitimate means.
Reducing tourist income frustrates the new class of Cuban entrepreneurs. It cuts restaurant income and cab driver income. It hurts the very people (private sector) that Trump claims he wants to help. In the end, its purpose is to make it harder, not easier for Cubans to earn a better living.
But these elements are clear. All Cuba has to do to reverse this pressure is surrender its sovereignty. Your political leaders may make mistakes on other issues, but on this point they are correct. And as an American citizen I wish it were not the case, but our record throughout Latin America speaks for itself.
The injuries are real. What caused the injuries remains a mystery and both the Cuban and US governments are possible suspects. I tend to believe that the Castros are the guilty party simply because the US is far less likely to injure Americans to push a political agenda…..I hope.
That’s completely ridiculous. The Cuban people and their government have principles unlike Marco Rubio who is using this as a way sharpen his pencil and grab votes. Rubio starts a hearing asks a couple of witnesses for testimony and spends the rest of his time giving self testimony.
As a self proclaimed anti Castro Cuban we learn that anti Castro Cubans don’t have the capability and wouldn’t do such a thing and neither does the US government and it to wouldn’t do such a thing either. The whole hearing is meant to be a typical capitalist court frame job with Russia and supposed secret unknown technology involved. Maybe he should hold hearings on loud speakers as new technology.
Kim O’Brien
Texas, USA
It could be some new disease or one no one has documented before but why with the Embassy officials and not elsewhere?
The two nations had interest sections before and the US interest section building became the Embassy. So I discount the idea that the building was closed and developing some kind of unknown bacteria or virus although sections may have been closed as the building is quite large. American scientists have discounted the idea of a sonar attack.
The CIA follows orders ‘going rogue’ is speculation for spy novels and it was already known that the incoming Trump administration would pull back from Obama’s engagement. If they wanted a reason for total reversing policy they could certainly find one without needing to resort to dirty tricks against their own diplomats.
The Cuban government has wanted recognition and a condition was no doubt the return of the 5 Hero’s who were included. There is no reason to believe they wanted to sabotage themselves. Past differences developed over principles not secret agendas. Nor is the Cuban Party a ‘purge party’ with periodic purges of ‘hard or soft’ liners. So the idea of a group of hardliners at Cuban State Security ‘going rogue’ isn’t something I would even consider never mind believe. It remains a mystery.
Kim O’Brien
Your comment is reasonable. I would differ in your assumption that the Cuban government is an “unlikely” perpetrator. On the contrary, anything that the Castro regime believes would bespoil US/Cuban relations is fair game. The loss of tourism revenues is simply collateral damage. The Castros have a history of behaviors that “cut off their nose to spite their face”. This disaster is nothing new.
Unofficial reports of sources close to the KGB in Moscow uttered that “the goings-on in Havana” are caused by the ghost of Fidel Castro himself loudly pounding a conga drum next to imperialists’ ears as they slept.
Some form of a Legionaries Disease? That mystery malady was lurking in the HVAC system. Did the affected diplomats spend time any time at the US embassy or frequent a common venue? After sitting dormant for decades how thoroughly was the US embassy cleaned and sanitized prior to the arrival of staff?
I don’t think anyone has directly accused the Castro regime of wrongdoing. Some US representatives have hinted, but they would, wouldn’t they. If they came out directly they would be put on the spot to provide any evidence and that seems to be sorely lacking. If they can’t even get the story straight as to the cause and the number of personnel affected how can they pinpoint blame. Until they provide more details it is a situation that is rife for conspiracy theory.
From my own perspective, I always thought that it was a virus as a sonic ray seems technically unfeasible to implement without anyone outside the diplomatic community being affected and nobody actually hearing anything. A virus on the other hand could have gone round both the American and Canadian embassies from contact between the staff without it being an attack.
To say that the Cuban government is behind it is unlikely. If they were, why have they allowed free rein for investigations by both Canada and the US. Also what would be the motive. They have lost tourist revenue from both countries due to the incident. Some people have alleged that it is hardliners within the government that dislike the rapprochement with the US, but again this doesn’t explain the Canadian situation.
Unofficial reports of sources close to MI 6 in London uttered that ‘the goings-on in Havana’ are part of the new ‘dirty tricks campaign from Langley’ . Enough said.
Interesting. I suppose the naysayers will suggest that the Canadian government is colluding with the US government to falsely accuse the Castro regime of wrongdoing.