Ottawa stands by ‘Havana syndrome’ report as U.S. reconsiders foreign role
Global News
The statement from Global Affairs Canada comes a day after U.S. intelligence leaders unanimously testified that reports denying foreign involvement should be retracted.
The federal government is standing by its conclusion that the mysterious illnesses known as “Havana syndrome” were not caused by an attack by a foreign actor, despite U.S. officials acknowledging that their own, similar conclusions were based on “flawed” intelligence.
The statement from Global Affairs Canada was given to Global News on Friday, a day after the leaders of America’s top intelligence and law enforcement agencies unanimously testified to Congress that the U.S. intelligence community’s assessments should be retracted.
Global Affairs Canada’s 2024 report into what it called “unidentified health incidents” experienced by Canadian diplomats serving in Cuba cited one of those U.S. assessments from 2023, which concluded it’s “very unlikely” a foreign actor was behind the debilitating symptoms that also struck hundreds of U.S. foreign service and military personnel abroad.
The Canadian report similarly said the incidents “were not the result of a malicious act of a foreign actor” and that pre-existing medical conditions, environmental factors and conventional illnesses “were likely to have been important factors in many of the symptoms experienced.”
“GAC stands by its 2024 report … which concluded that no definitive common cause could be identified for the health symptoms experienced by employees and their dependants in Havana,” department spokesperson John Babcock said in an email.
“We recognize the impact this issue has had on our employees and their families, as well as on the broader GAC and partner department communities. GAC remains committed to assisting staff members and dependants impacted by any health symptoms, with employee and dependant well-being remaining a departmental priority.”
More than a dozen Canadian diplomats and family members are suing the federal government after they say they experienced symptoms such as headaches, memory loss, mood changes, vision problems, nausea and nosebleeds in Havana beginning in early 2017.
The lawsuit — which remains unresolved seven years after it was first filed in 2019 — alleges Ottawa failed to protect the victims, hid crucial information and downplayed the seriousness of the risks. The government has denied negligence and wrongdoing.
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