US media revealed that officials from the Biden administration are investigating different cases of the so-called Havana syndrome illness in Colombia. Apparently, American staff in Colombian capital Bogota could have been severely affected by this strange illness, which is characterized by the way it causes dizziness, fatigue and an incredibly painful sound.
The Havana syndrome is called this way since the first case was reported in the Cuban capital back in 2016 during the last weeks of the Obama administration. That situation became one of the main stories in US media, considering that many thought this could have been an action taken by a hardliner faction of the Cuban regime in order to thwart the restoration of diplomatic and political relations between both countries.
While it was never proven this was some kind of attack perpetrated by members of the Cuban regime, the truth is there have been many other cases of Havana syndrome illness suffered by US diplomats in different nations around the world. To this day, it remains unclear the origins of this illness and whether we’re could be talking about a different type of attack against diplomatic figures, using an innovative weapon that leaves no kind of “trail.”
President Duque promises to investigate these cases of Havana syndrome.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, numerous emails sent by the United States Ambassador to Colombia Philip Goldberg confirmed different cases of what he referred to as “unexplained health incidents” in capital Bogota. He later pointed out that the incidents in question were several cases of the Havana syndrome that were taking place in the embassy since mid-September.
Following the Wall Street Journal report, Colombian President Ivan Duque was interviewed by the New York Times on the matter. He explained that he already ordered Colombian authorities to investigate this situation and to find out what really happened as soon as possible. Moreover, the right-wing leader pointed out that the Biden administration was leading the investigation.
Symptom and statistics.
After the first case of the strange illness in Cuba’s capital, many Americans who have suffered it have described the Havana syndrome as “the most painful and intense sound your ears can hear.” To this day, different reports suggest that nearly 200 Americans that have been affected by the strange illness have been left with severe cases of fatigue and dizziness for months.
As reported by the New York Times, another interesting aspect about the cases of the Havana syndrome illness that so many Americans have been suffering over the last few years is that the vast majority of them have been CIA employees.
A rare case in Berlin.
Last Friday, the Washington Post reported there was a rare case of the Havana syndrome illness at the United States embassy in Berlin. In fact, President Joe Biden even released a statement where he said that authorities would find “the cause and who is responsible”.
This situation came a couple of hours after the American president signed a law that basically entitled the heads of the State Department and the intelligence agency to provide financial compensation to those employees of the US government who have suffered the Havana syndrome illness.
According to a BBC report, a US State Department official refused to tell the British news outlet whether reports of what happened in Berlin were true or not.
The official told the BBC in a statement that “we are vigorously investigating reports of AHIs wherever they are reported,” and that the State Department is “actively working to identify the cause of these incidents and whether they may be attributed to a foreign actor.”
