Canadian Diplomats Sue Their Own Government Over Injuries Suffered In Cuba

Ottawa Citizen: Diplomats file $28M suit against Canada over injuries suffered in Cuba

The diplomats say the Canadian government failed to protect them, hid crucial information and downplayed the seriousness of the risks.

OTTAWA — Five Canadian diplomats and their family members who became mysteriously ill while posted to Cuba are suing Ottawa for more than $28 million.

In a statement of claim filed Wednesday in Federal Court, the diplomats say the Canadian government failed to protect them, hid crucial information and downplayed the seriousness of the risks.

Global Affairs Canada acknowledges that nine adults and five children from diplomatic families have developed unusual illnesses in Havana, with symptoms including nausea, dizziness, headaches and trouble concentrating.

Global Affairs has said the government is trying to pinpoint the cause, stressing that the health and safety of diplomatic staff and their families are the priorities.

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WNU Editor: When the first case of a Canadian diplomat experiencing the same health problems as American diplomats in Havana was reported, this blog was the first to point out that this is a serious problem, and that Canada should respond immediately (i.e. reduction in staff, and visa restrictions) .... U.S. And Canadian Diplomats In Cuba Suffered Serious Brain And Nerve Damage (August 23, 2017). They did not. My guess is that the Trudeau government was skeptical that Cuba was behind these "attacks", and they did not want to damage Canadian - Cuban relations. This decision may now become costly to the Canadian taxpayer.

More News On Canadian Diplomats Suing Their Own Government Over Injuries Suffered In Cuba

Diplomats sue Ottawa for $28M over health ailments during Cuba postings -- CBC
Diplomats sue Canada government over mystery illness in Cuba -- BBC
Canadian diplomats sue their government over mystery illness in Cuba -- CNN
Canadian diplomats sue government for 'downplaying the seriousness' of mystery illness in Cuba -- FOX News

Another Canadian Diplomat In Cuba Is Sick From Suspected 'Sonic Attack'

A man walks beside Canada's embassy in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, April 17, 2018.Desmond Boylan/The Canadian Press

National Post: Another Canadian diplomat in Cuba is sick with mysterious illness that has affected 13 people so far

Canadian diplomatic personnel are allowed to return to Canada if they wish.

OTTAWA — Global Affairs Canada says another Canadian diplomat in Cuba has fallen ill, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 13.

That includes diplomats posted to the Canadian embassy in Havana, as well as their dependants, who have come down with a mysterious illness that causes dizziness, headaches and trouble concentrating.

Global Affairs says the government continues to investigate the cause of the unknown illness, adding in a statement that the health and safety of diplomatic staff and their families is a top priority.

The department says the person who fell ill most recently “is receiving the necessary medical attention.”

Read more ....

More News On Suspected 'Sonic Attack' Against Canadian Diplomat In Cuba

Another Canadian diplomat in Cuba affected by mysterious brain injury -- CBC
Another Canadian diplomat has reportedly fallen ill in Cuba with mysterious symptoms -- Business Insider/AP
Canada reviews Cuba presence after another diplomat falls ill -- Reuters
Canada reviewing presence in Cuba after another diplomat falls mysteriously ill -- CTV News
Another Canadian diplomat falls ill in Cuba after 12 other embassy dwellers struck with the same mystery brain illness claimed they have been 'abandoned' by their government -- Daily Mail
Another Canadian diplomat in Cuba sick with mystery illness, Global Affairs says -- Global News

Canada Orders Diplomats’ Families to Leave Cuba

Toronto Star: Canadian diplomats, families hit with health problems in Cuba may have suffered brain injuries, Ottawa says

Canadian diplomats and their family members who suffered health problems during their postings in Cuba may have suffered brain injuries and the cause may have been man-made, a federal official says.

OTTAWA—Canadian diplomats and their family members who suffered health problems during their postings in Cuba may have suffered brain injuries and the cause may have been man-made, a federal official says.

The federal government announced Monday that, because of the mysterious health symptoms suffered by Canadian and American diplomats, family members are being brought home and no longer will no longer be allowed to accompany officials posted to Havana.

The Cuban capital will now be an “unaccompanied post,” joining locales such as Kabul and Baghdad that are deemed too risky to have family members accompany embassy staff during their postings. Fifteen Canadian staff members now work at the embassy, but Global Affairs Canada said the staffing level is also under review.

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WNU Editor: If it was one or two individuals who were sick .... and in only one place .... I would presume it would be because of natural causes and/or something wrong in that area. But the numbers who have been impacted are high, similar, and in different locations. That makes no sense unless it was deliberate. As to who is responsible .... Cuba is governed by an authoritarian regime, everyone is watched. That then limits the possible suspects to only one, and that is the intelligence agencies that police Cuba and who monitor 24/7 all foreign diplomats..

More News On Canada Ordering The Families Of Its Diplomats To Leave Cuba

Canada sending home families of diplomats in Cuba after cases of 'new type' of brain injury -- CBC
Canada to return diplomat families from Cuba over health concerns -- CNN
Canada makes Cuba posting a solitary one for diplomats -- NBC
Canada sends home families of diplomats posted in Cuba -- BBC
Canada, following U.S. lead, pulls diplomats out of Cuba -- USA Today
Canadian embassy in Cuba now rated as dangerous as Afghanistan -- Global News

U.S. And Canadian Diplomats In Cuba Suffered Serious Brain And Nerve Damage

CBS: Some U.S. diplomats in Cuba diagnosed with serious health conditions, medical records show

According to medical records reviewed exclusively by CBS News, a U.S. doctor who evaluated American and Canadian diplomats working in Havana diagnosed them with conditions as serious as mild traumatic brain injury, and with likely damage to the central nervous system.

The diplomats complained about symptoms ranging from hearing loss and nausea to headaches and balance disorders after the State Department said "incidents" began affecting them beginning in late 2016. A source familiar with these incidents says officials are investigating whether the diplomats were targets of a type of sonic attack directed at their homes, which were provided by the Cuban government. The source says reports of more attacks affecting U.S. embassy workers on the island continue.

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WNU Editor: This is incredibly serious ... and beyond stupid for the Cuban government. These actions .... if they continue .... will force both Canada and the U.S. to either close their embassies or severely limit operations, and in turn a quid-pro-quo in closing or severely limiting Cuba's diplomatic operations in both countries. So much for the hundreds of millions that Cuba makes each year on Canadians travelling to Cuba on vacation alone .... good luck on getting visas.

More News On U.S. And Canadian Diplomats In Cuba Suffering Serious Brain And Nerve Damage

Diplomats in Cuba suffered brain injuries, nerve damage: report -- Globe and Mail/Reuters
US diplomats in Cuba suffered traumatic brain injury and nerve damage in 'covert sonic attack' on their homes -- Daily Mail
US and Canadian diplomats suffering from brain damage after suspected 'sonic device' incident in Cuba -- The Telegraph
Diplomats in Cuba suffered traumatic brain injuries, records show -- The Hill