U.S. Expels Cuban Diplomats in Response to Attacks on U.S. Diplomats

On October 3^rd, the U.S. ordered 15 Cuban diplomats to be expelled from the United States in response to what the U.S. says is a failure by the Cuban government to protect U.S. diplomats.

On September 29^th the U.S. began pulling diplomats from the U.S. embassy in Cuba in response to attacks on U.S. diplomats caused by an advanced acoustic or sonic device.

There have not been any advances in the investigation about what caused U.S. diplomats in Cuba to start reporting symptoms of hearing loss, nausea, headaches, balance and visual problems, and sleeping issues.

The U.S. State Department is reducing the U.S. Embassy in Cuba to just emergency personnel in order to ensure the safety of the staff. The remaining 27 personnel are enough to respond to emergencies but won’t be able to help American citizens in need and to provide routine consular services to the nearly 20,000 Cubans who are eligible for visas to the United States.

The U.S. State Dept. has given 15 Cuban diplomats one week to return to Cuba in an attempt to show Cuba that it must take more actions to protect U.S. officials in the country and will need to ensure the well-being of U.S. personnel before diplomatic relations can resume. This is the second time the U.S. is dismissing Cuban diplomats in retaliation for the Cuban government failing to protect the U.S. diplomats, having previously expelled two diplomats in May.

In addition to removing diplomats, the U.S. will stop processing visas in Cuba indefinitely. The U.S. has also warned citizens against traveling to Cuba even though no private U.S. citizens have been affected.

A total of 22 U.S. diplomats and their families were injured from the mysterious attacks beginning in November 2016. Five Canadian diplomats and their families also reported similar injuries in June.

The FBI hasn’t found any devices in the diplomats’ residences and are still investigating who was behind the attacks and the type of weapon that was used. Canada is investigating the cause as well but it said there are no plans to change travel advice or remove staff from Cuba.

U.S.-Cuba relations are already suffering from the removal of diplomats by the U.S. and Cuba has called the U.S. decision hasty and irresponsible. The diplomatic dispute will further strain relations. President Trump has expressed the intent to partially roll back former President Obama’s policies with Cuba, which sought to end a decades old U.S. policy of isolating the Cuban regime.

Cuba continues to deny any involvement in the attacks against the diplomats and while the U.S. has not blamed Cuba, it does hold Cuba responsible for not doing enough to protect the diplomats.