We are still trying to figure out what happened to US diplomats in Cuba. The US responded by pulling out diplomats and the Cuban regime said this:
A senior Cuban official on Monday condemned Washington’s decision to make the withdrawal of 60 percent of the U.S. Embassy staff permanent in response to mysterious ailments affecting American diplomats.
Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, the new director of U.S. issues at the foreign ministry, said the decision was motivated by politics and had nothing to do with the safety of diplomats.
He told reporters that the cuts would hurt consular services and make travel more difficult for ordinary citizens. He said it might also erode long-standing cooperation on migration.
The State Department made the cuts permanent last week. It initially scaled back staff in October in response to hearing loss and other ailments affecting at least 24 U.S. citizens. U.S. investigators have not determined a cause and Cuba denies any wrongdoing.
The Cuban regime was rattled by President Trump’s reaction. What was the Cuban government expecting? The reality is that US citizens and US diplomats were attacked by something and some suffered serious damage or are under treatment.
What is the US government supposed to do?
Cuba is obligated under international norms to protect diplomats. Unfortunately, they didn’t protect US diplomats for whatever reason.
We are still investigating and there are many theories out there, from a 3rd country to a joke gone bad to many others.
The US is simply acting rationally and looking out for its diplomats. It might be more helpful if Cuba would actually explain what happened rather than criticize the US.
P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
A senior Cuban official on Monday condemned Washington’s decision to make the withdrawal of 60 percent of the U.S. Embassy staff permanent in response to mysterious ailments affecting American diplomats.
Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, the new director of U.S. issues at the foreign ministry, said the decision was motivated by politics and had nothing to do with the safety of diplomats.
He told reporters that the cuts would hurt consular services and make travel more difficult for ordinary citizens. He said it might also erode long-standing cooperation on migration.
The State Department made the cuts permanent last week. It initially scaled back staff in October in response to hearing loss and other ailments affecting at least 24 U.S. citizens. U.S. investigators have not determined a cause and Cuba denies any wrongdoing.