Canada is standing by its 2024 conclusion that “Havana syndrome” illnesses affecting diplomats in Cuba were not caused by a foreign actor-even as top U.S. intelligence officials retract their own similar findings, calling them based on “flawed” analysis.
Global Affairs Canada reaffirmed its assessment that symptoms-including headaches, memory loss, and vision problems-likely stemmed from pre-existing conditions, environmental factors, or conventional illnesses, not a malicious attack.
More than a dozen Canadian diplomats and family members have sued the federal government, alleging it failed to protect them and concealed critical information. The lawsuit, filed in 2019, remains unresolved.
Meanwhile, the U.S. House Intelligence Committee recently concluded it is “increasingly likely” a foreign adversary-possibly Russia-is responsible for some incidents. A 60 Minutes investigation alleged Moscow developed a covert energy-based device linked to the symptoms, which the U.S. has reportedly tested domestically.
Canada’s report cites years of investigations by the RCMP, Dalhousie University, and Nova Scotia Health, along with environmental monitoring in Havana from 2019 to 2022. No evidence of criminality or foreign attribution was found. Instruments installed to detect acoustic or radiation surges yielded no probative data.
Despite alignment with prior U.S. conclusions, Ottawa now diverges as American agencies-including the CIA and FBI-acknowledge errors and launch new reviews under Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.