Sufferers of Havana Syndrome Awarded Compensation by US Govt

Latin America Correspondent Jon Bonfiglio on the latest regarding Havana Syndrome, the mysterious neurological condition reported by spies, diplomats and their families, originating at the US Embassy in Havana, Cuba. 

Transcript

Hi everyone. For those of you who have been following the podcast a long time, you’ll remember that years ago we would come back and forth on the issue of Havana Syndrome, a mysterious neurological condition reported by spies, diplomats and their families, which originated at the US Embassy in Havana, Cuba. 

Since then, American staff based elsewhere, as well as staff from other countries, including the Canadian diplomatic corps, have reported what came to be known as "anomalous health incidents", which often include hearing a low hum, clicks and "grinding metal", while others spoke of pressure on the brain, and resultant dizziness and nausea.

These reports led to speculation that they may be the result of an attack by a foreign power, in particular using a mystery sonic weapon, or microwaves. The symptoms resemble those which would be incurred by speculative Cold War weaponry, allegedly designed by Russia, but over time there was a back and forth by the US Government on whether the symptoms were real or not. 

In any case, in 2017, the US government pulled more than half of its staff from its embassy in Havana after widespread reports of the condition. And now, even in the absence of certainty as to what - if anything - causes the effects, the US Govt has announced compensation of USD$3 million for those affected. A statement disseminated on behalf of the Department of Defence also said it would focus on "the care of affected personnel". 

The decision, of course, brings a moment of vindication for those affected, who had at times been denied medical treatment and who were told at various points that the symptoms were imagined. 

It also comes amid two other interesting events related to the incidents. Firstly, media reports have linked the events with agents in the Russian military intelligence services, and have also recently uncovered information which suggests that the United States too may have a weapon capable of causing these injuries. 

Then, only a few weeks ago,  two intelligence assessments that concluded no foreign power was behind it were retracted by outgoing director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who said that the assessments were flawed, as they had failed to include relevant intelligence, and selectively excluded evidence that contradicted their conclusions. The implication is that this current National Intelligence Agency accepts that a foreign power is, in fact, behind the attacks, although no further details are given. Havana Syndrome is a topic and an issue that has refused to go away for at least a decade now, and these recent developments suggest that it continues to resist doing so.