Cuba refutes US claims over sick embassy staff

CUBA has denied any wrongdoing after facing charges from Washington that US embassy staff in Havana fell ill with unspecified symptoms while working in the country, resulting in their departure from the Caribbean nation.

“We first heard of these incidents back in late 2016,” State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said. “Some US government personnel who were working at our embassy in Havana, Cuba… reported some incidents which have caused a variety of physical symptoms.”

According to Havana, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs was notified by Washington on February 17, after which the island’s government responded promptly and professionally, launching a “thorough, priority and urgent investigation by indication of the highest level of the Cuban government” while proposing the establishment of a co-operation mechanism between the two countries.