Washington has paid out nearly three million dollars in compensation for government agents suffering from Havana syndrome, a mysterious neurological condition reported for about ten years by spies, diplomats and their relatives.
This is the first time payments have been made to U.S. agency personnel for this illness. The payments were made under the Havana Act, a law enacted in 2021 specifically to compensate victims. The U.S. Department of Defense announced that it will continue to prioritize "supporting affected personnel."
The first cases date back to 2016, when American diplomats stationed in Cuba reported nighttime disturbances: piercing sounds, low buzzing, clicking, and metallic grinding. Others described intense pressure on the skull, dizziness, and nausea. Since then, similar incidents have been reported from Beijing, Washington, and other capitals.
In 2017, the United States repatriated more than half of its embassy staff from Havana. Canada also drastically reduced its diplomatic presence in the Cuban capital in 2019 after its own staff reported similar symptoms.
Former CIA analyst Erika Stith summed up her condition in 2022 with a striking phrase: "My brain is broken. We suffered this while serving our country. And we deserve to be taken care of."
The question of the syndrome's origin remains unanswered. Hypotheses have circulated for years regarding the use of a microwave or ultrasonic weapon by a foreign power. Last year, virtually all U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that it was "highly unlikely" that a foreign actor had used "a novel device or weapon" to harm American personnel. However, a minority within the intelligence community has not entirely ruled out this possibility.
The National Intelligence Council report stated that no agency questioned "the experiences or suffering" of the agents involved, concluding that they had "experienced real, sometimes painful and traumatic, physical symptoms."
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