After serving a term in Cuba, about 20 Canadian diplomats complained of violent headaches, visual disturbances and nausea – and they claim that their government has failed them and others who are still ill with the mysterious “Havana Syndrome”. are falling.
Officially, Canadian authorities recognize only 14 cases of unexplained suffering, the last of which was reported in December 2018.
But stricken diplomats, who are suing the government in Ottawa for taking too long to evacuate and provide them with treatment, say the number is nearing 30 – and rising.
Toronto lawyer Paul Miller, representing 18 Canadian diplomats, claiming more than 28 million Canadian dollars (about $22 million USD) in damages and interest, told AFP he continues to receive calls from alleged victims. “We have some recent cases from 2021,” he said.
A source close to the matter told AFP there were just two reports this year that diplomats were forced to end their tour of duty in Havana ahead of schedule after experiencing symptoms.
Cases of esoteric suffering in the media called “Havana Syndrome” first surfaced in Cuba in 2016.
Diplomats from the United States and Canada – some of whom claimed to have heard very loud noises – began complaining of migraines, dizziness, and nausea.
In some, brain lesions were diagnosed.
Later, cases emerged among diplomats working in Australia, Austria, China, Colombia, Germany, Russia and even Washington.
‘strange vibration’
A former Canadian diplomat, who lived in Cuba for four years, described waking up one morning in 2017 and suffering from “bleeding from the nose”.
“I haven’t had blood in my nose since I was a child,” the woman told AFP on condition of anonymity.
As symptoms worsened, she said: “I realized I wasn’t able to work at the time so I quit.”
Another said she began “feeling strange tremors in my ears at about the same time every night” just weeks after arriving in Havana in 2017, and noticed a decline in her formerly complete vision.
“I never wore glasses, never had any visual problems and since Cuba I now have to wear green glasses as much as possible, and even then my eyes are sometimes blurry,” she said.
‘mass hysteria’
Several hypotheses have been put forward to explain the symptoms – from electronic weapons possibly operated by a US rival such as Russia, to mass frenzy driven by stress or the effects of pesticides.
No definitive conclusion has been reached, and Cuban officials deny the existence of a syndrome.
In September, a 16-member expert panel convened by the Communist government in Havana issued a report saying the claims were not “scientifically acceptable”.
It said, “Neither the Cuban Police, nor the FBI, nor the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have discovered evidence of ‘attacks’ on diplomats in Havana, despite a thorough investigation.”
In Washington, the case is far from closed.
Last month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised to “get to the bottom” of the case and appointed two experienced envoys to coordinate the response and ensure that anyone reporting symptoms receives appropriate medical care.
no help
Victim Canadian diplomats say their complaints have not been treated with the same level of promptness.
“I think our biggest complaint is that we weren’t offered any help,” said one.
Another, who said she had been instructed not to talk to anyone about her health concerns, not even medical personnel, said: “I think Canada is too short to say that. Was reluctant: ‘Yes, our diplomats … are impressed’. I think he prioritized relations with Cuba over his people.”
While Cuba’s relations with the United States are extremely tense, relations with Canada remain warm, except for a brief period between 2014 and 2016.
Ottawa has never broken ties since the 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro, and has historically been the main source of tourists to the island.
Miller agreed that the treatment of American and Canadian victims was “very different”.
“Here (in Ottawa), the government said: ‘We’re going to do everything we can to take care of our diplomats.’ they have not.”
In a written response to AFP: Canada’s foreign ministry said it “takes the health, safety and security of the Canadian people very seriously” and “continues to monitor the health and safety of its diplomatic staff stationed in Havana.” “
In January 2019, Canada announced that it had nearly halved its staffing at the embassy as a result of unexplained symptoms, but has since begun increasing numbers and hopes to return to full staffing soon.
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