Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Monday 11 June 2018

Cuba releases details of incident involving US official

By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN released by its Foreign it doesn't know who is
Associated Press Ministry that U.S. officials behind it, but has argued
HAVANA (AP) — Cuba reported on May 29 that Cuba is responsible for
released details Sunday on a female embassy official protecting all diplomats on
the latest mysterious health had reported experiencing its soil. Cuba has denied
incident involving a U.S. "health symptoms" after any involvement in or
diplomat in the country, hearing the sounds in her knowledge of what may
saying that Cuban officials home two days earlier. have caused the injuries.
learned of the episode Cuba said it sent "Cuba has publicly and
late last month when the investigators to the home officially reiterated its willing
U.S. said that an embassy who found no potential to cooperate seriously in
official felt ill after hearing source of a sound and the joint search for answers,
This Aug. 14, 2015 file photo shows the U.S. embassy in Havana, "undefined sounds" in her were not granted access clarity and the solution
Cuba. home in Havana. to the official. of the alleged facts," the
Associated Press Cuba said in a statement U.S. officials said Friday that Cuban statement said
they had pulled two workers Sunday. "The Ministry of
from Cuba and were Foreign Relations reiterates
testing them for possible that no evidence of the
brain injury. There was no alleged incidents has
immediate explanation of been presented, and
why the Cuban statement maintains its unwavering
only referred to one official. commitment to cooperate
The two individuals are with U.S. authorities."
considered "potentially The potential new cases
new cases" but have come as the U.S. has being
not yet been "medically issuing health alerts to
confirmed," a State Americans in China after a
Department official said. worker at the U.S. Consulate
Two other officials said in Guangzhou reported
the individuals have been symptoms and strange
brought for testing to the sounds and was flown to
University of Pennsylvania, the U.S. That worker was
where doctors have then medically confirmed
been evaluating, treating to have "suffered a medical
and studying Americans incident consistent with
affected in Cuba last year what other U.S. government
as well as almost 10 new personnel experienced in
possible cases from a U.S. Havana, Cuba," the State
consulate in China. Department has said.q
The officials weren't
authorized to comment
publicly and requested
anonymity.
If confirmed by doctors to
have the same condition,
the two individuals would
mark the 25th and 26th
confirmed patients from the
bizarre incidents in Cuba
that were first disclosed
last year and have been
deemed "specific attacks"
by the U.S. government.
The United States has said