EMBASSY CUTS BACK AFTER NEW ILLNESS
New total of 14 Canadians have shown symptoms
OTTAWA • Canada has decided to cut the number of diplomatic staff in Cuba by up to half after another person fell ill, Ottawa said on Wednesday, bringing the total to 14 Canadians suffering mysterious symptoms since 2017.
The latest case involves a diplomat who arrived in the summer and reported symptoms on Dec. 29 of a mysterious illness that causes problems including nausea, dizziness, headaches and trouble concentrating.
The fact that a recently arrived diplomat reported symptoms underscores the likelihood that the undiagnosed ailment that has afflicted Canadian and American diplomats and their families is still a threat.
Canadian and U.S. diplomats in Havana first began complaining of dizziness and nausea in the spring of 2017. The United States reduced embassy staffing in Cuba from more than 50 to a maximum of 18, after more than two dozen personnel developed unusual illnesses.
“A further reduction in the (Canadian embassy) footprint is deemed to be the appropriate response,” a government official told reporters.
The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Wednesday that Global Affairs Canada would reduce its representation by eight people from the 16 serving in the Havana embassy.
The remaining diplomats will deliver full consular services but other programs will have to be adjusted.
The move follows downsizing in April that determined diplomats posted to Cuba would not be accompanied by families and dependents due to the uncertainty.
In November, a 13th Canadian reported symptoms, sparking a new round of medical testing that turned up the next case in December. The November case was the first to be reported since October 2017, officials said.
“These recent confirmed cases demonstrate that these incidents are still ongoing,” said one official.
The RCMP is leading an investigation into the cause of the ailments.
Canadian authorities say they are getting good cooperation from the Cuban government, which is also frustrated by the incidents.
“I think I can safely say the Cuban officials are as frustrated as we are that we cannot get any closer to determining a cause,” the official said.
The incidents have aggravated the already strained relations between Cuba and the United States. The Cuban government says the Trump administration is using the issue to roll back new measures instituted by the Obama administration to re-engage with its Caribbean island neighbour after five decades of tensions dating back to the height of the Cold War.
The U.S. withdrew most of its non-essential diplomatic staff in September 2017 but Canada did not.
Officials said the government made assessments based on “evidence” in taking its various decisions to gradually reduce Canada’s diplomatic footprint in Cuba, which hosts an average of one million sun-seeking Canadian tourists annually.
“There is no evidence that Canadian travellers to Cuba are at risk,” Global Affairs Canada said Wednesday, adding that travellers should continue to consult the government’s travel advisories.
Canadian officials say they are co-operating fully with their American counterparts but refused to say whether the fact the Cubans and Americans aren’t getting along is having an effect on the search for the mysterious cause.
Speculation has focused on some kind of acoustic or microwave assault, unknown contaminants and even chirping crickets. Officials have all but ruled out environmental factors — such as toxins in the air, soil or water — and no longer suspect a sonic attack is to blame.