The United States yesterday ordered the exit of 15 officials of the Cuban embassy in Washington in reply to the alleged acoustic “attacks” suffered by at least 22 of the U.S. diplomats posted in Cuba, and which have led to the Department of State reducing its personnel in Cuba.
The Department of State has provided the Cuban government with “a list” of persons that must leave the country in seven days, a Department of State official explained to journalists and he reported that the number of U.S. citizens affected by the mysterious attacks had risen from 21 to 22.
According to three of the U.S. sources informed about “the plan,” the Department of State was going to announce the expulsion of the Cuban diplomatic personnel as soon as Tuesday October 3. A fourth one described the expulsion as “reciprocity” with the U.S. withdrawal from Havana.
With no evidence or information
The United States still has no idea of the nature of the device or weapon used against its personnel.
The Department of State hasn’t accused Cuba of being behind the incidents. But it has warned several times that Havana is responsible for the safety of the foreign diplomats on its territory, according to the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations.
The AP news agency has revealed that the attacks against the health of the U.S. personnel in Havana affected “the heart of Washington’s espionage network in Cuba…. The U.S. intelligence agents were some of the first victims and the most affected,” said the agency, whose source was “some five officials.”
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla gave a press conference this Tuesday to refer to this news.
EFE / OnCuba
