US shrinks number of diplomats in Cuba

WASHINGTON — Citing mysterious “health attacks” in Havana, the United States said Friday it is making permanent its withdrawal of 60 percent of its diplomats from Cuba.

In October, the State Department ordered nonessential embassy personnel and the families of all staff members to leave Havana, arguing the U.S. could not protect them from unexplained illnesses that have harmed at least 24 Americans. The new, permanent staffing plan maintains a level of roughly two dozen people — “the minimum personnel necessary to perform core diplomatic and consular functions.”

Diplomats posted there also will not be allowed to have spouses or children live with them there.

The downsizing of the embassy staff — and a warning that Americans should reconsider travel to the island — have had significant effects on Cuba’s economy and citizens. With fewer employees, the U.S. Embassy in Havana halted visa processing, forcing Cubans who wish to visit the United States to seek visas through U.S. embassies in other countries. The U.S. is also expected to fall far short of granting the 20,000 immigrant visas to Cubans that have been allotted annually for decades.

In Havana, hundreds of Cubans waited in line Friday outside the Colombian Embassy seeking visas to visit that country, from which they would have to apply for a separate visa at the American Embassy in Bogota to travel to the U.S.

In late 2016, U.S. Embassy personnel began seeking medical care for hearing loss and ear-ringing that they linked to weird noises or vibrations — initially leading investigators to suspect “sonic attacks.” But an FBI report in January said a probe has uncovered no evidence that sound waves could have damaged the Americans’ health.

Cuba has denied involvement in or knowledge of attacks. The U.S. has not accused Cuba of such action but has said Havana holds responsibility nonetheless, arguing that such incidents could not have occurred without the knowledge of Cuban officials.