US warns against visiting Cuba, cuts embassy staff
Apparent attacks haven’t hit tourists, nor are reason, source known
The U.S. State Department, responding to a series of mysterious “attacks” on diplomats in Havana, warned Americans on Friday against travel to Cuba and ordered more than half of its diplomatic personnel to leave the island.
The warning came as the Trump White House was already moving to reverse the Obama administration’s easing of travel restrictions two years ago as part of an effort to improve relations between the longtime enemies.
In 2015, President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro restored diplomatic ties. Embassies reopened, and travel and commerce restrictions eased. President Donald Trump has reversed some changes but broadly left the rapprochement in place.
The latest decision will deliver a heavy blow to the Cuban economy, which increasingly depends on tourism.
The State Department, in issuing the formal travel warning, said on its website that the U.S. has been unable to identify the source of the attacks on diplomats and believes that “U.S. citizens may also be at risk.”
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement that while there are no reports that private U.S. citizens have been affected, “the attacks are known to have occurred in U.S. diplomatic residences and hotels frequented by U.S. citizens.”
He said the decision to pull out non-emergency diplomatic personnel and their families was made to ensure their safety.
“We maintain diplomatic relations with Cuba, and our work in Cuba continues to be guided by the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States,” Tillerson said. “Cuba has told us it will continue to investigate these attacks and we will continue to cooperate with them in this effort.”
The U.S. is expected to pull out roughly 60 percent of the embassy’s U.S. staff and halt processing of visas in Cuba indefinitely.
Cubans seeking visas to enter the U.S. may be able to apply through embassies in nearby countries. The U.S. will also stop sending official delegations to Cuba, though diplomatic discussions will continue in Washington.
Josefina Vidal Ferreiro, Cuba’s general director for U.S. affairs, called the State Department’s action “hasty” and said it would “affect the bilateral relations, specifically, the cooperation in matters of mutual interest.”
“I wish to reaffirm Cuba’s willingness to continue an active cooperation between the authorities of both countries, to fully clarify these incidents, for which purpose a more effective involvement by the United States will be essential,” she said in a statement.
The decision by the State Department follows a series of unexplained reports, beginning almost a year ago, of health problems for some 21 diplomats and their families. Significant injuries have included ear complaints, hearing loss, dizziness, tinnitus, balance problems, visual complaints, headache, fatigue, cognitive issues and difficulty sleeping, the State Department said.
The FBI and other agencies that searched homes and hotels where incidents occurred found no devices. And clues about the circumstances of the incidents seem to make any explanation scientifically implausible.
Diplomats from Canada, which has warm relations with Cuba, have suffered similar health problems.
In a meeting with Tillerson on Tuesday, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez denied Cuba was involved in the attacks and accused the U.S. of politicizing the incidents, CNN reported. Cuba has also invited FBI agents to travel to Havana to investigate the incidents.