19 Americans affected by health attacks in Cuba: State Department
The United States has claimed that at least 19 Americans serving at the US Embassy in Havana experienced symptoms from mysterious attacks on their health in Cuba.
"We can confirm another incident which occurred last month and is now part of the investigation," Heather Nauert, a spokeswoman for the State Department, told reporters on Friday in Washington, DC.
Nauert said that the embassy has a medical officer and has been consistently providing care to those who have reported incidents.
She further said that the investigation had not been completed and the US was continually revising its assessments of the scope of the attacks as new information was obtained.
“We can't rule out new cases as medical professionals continue to evaluate members of the embassy community," Nauert added.
The new disclosures came the same day that the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), the union representing American diplomats, said mild traumatic brain injury was among the diagnoses given to diplomats victimized in the attacks.
"AFSA strongly encourages the Department of State and the US Government to do everything possible to provide appropriate care for those affected, and to work to ensure that these incidents cease and are not repeated," the union said in a statement.
Last week, Nauert had said at least 16 Americans associated with the US Embassy in Havana had been affected.
In early August, the State Department expelled two diplomats from the Cuban Embassy in Washington, DC, saying the expulsions were in response to a series of attacks on US diplomats in Havana with a covert sonic weapon.
US officials said that the embassy personnel appeared to have been affected by the attacks in which a covert sonic weapon was allegedly used. The alleged device was planted either in or near the diplomats' residences, according to The Associated Press.
Cuba has denied any wrongdoing on its part, and is carrying out its own investigation into the matter.
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Former US President Barack Obama re-established diplomatic relations with Havana in 2015 and loosened some restrictions on doing business in the country during his tenure in the White House.
During last year’s presidential campaign, Donald Trump threatened to “terminate” deals that the Obama administration made with Cuba.
President Trump is now reportedly considering sanctions against Cuba in a bid to scale back Obama’s policy shift towards the southern neighbor.
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