U.S. expels 15 Cuban diplomats, fueling tensions with Havana

WASHINGTON/HAVAN A, (Reuters) - The Trump administration yesterday expelled 15 Cuban diplomats to protest Cuba’s failure to protect staff at the U.S. embassy in Havana from a mysterious spate of health “attacks,” spurring new tensions between the former Cold War foes.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the expulsions from Cuba’s embassy in Washington were also intended to ensure “equity” in staffing levels, after he recalled more than half the U.S. diplomatic personnel in Havana on Friday.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez denounced the decision as “unjustified,” accused the United States of insufficient cooperation with Cuba’s investigation of the health incidents and urged Washington to stop politicizing the matter.

The steps taken by Republican President Donald Trump’s administration delivers another blow to his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama’s policy of rapprochement, including actions likely to erode the normalization of a relationship dominated for decades by mutual hostility and suspicion.

The latest U.S. move was communicated to Cuban Ambassador Jose Ramon Cabanas on Tuesday, and the diplomats were given seven days to leave, a State Department official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“Until the Government of Cuba can ensure the safety of our diplomats in Cuba, our embassy will be reduced to emergency personnel to minimize the number of diplomats at risk of exposure to harm,” Tillerson said in a statement. “We continue to maintain diplomatic relations with Cuba, and will continue to cooperate with Cuba as we pursue the investigation into these attacks,” he added.

The United States announced on Friday that it was sharply reducing its diplomatic presence in Cuba, as it warned U.S. citizens not to visit the Communist-ruled island because of the alleged attacks it says have caused hearing loss, dizziness and fatigue in 22 U.S. embassy personnel.