Cases of ‘Havana Syndrome’ Reported at U.S. Embassy in Colombia

Politics|Cases of ‘Havana Syndrome’ Reported astatine U.S. Embassy successful Colombia

WASHINGTON — The State Department is investigating caller complaints of encephalon injuries linked to the alleged Havana Syndrome astatine the U.S. Embassy successful Colombia, a elder medication authoritative said connected Tuesday, a week earlier Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken is scheduled to sojourn the country.

It was not wide however galore radical astatine the embassy successful Bogotá, the Colombian capital, mightiness person been afflicted by the mysterious unwellness and its symptoms of headaches, nausea, dizziness and representation loss. The State Department’s spokesman, Ned Price, said officials would guarantee that employees “get the punctual attraction they need, successful immoderate signifier that takes,” but helium did not picture the complaints successful Colombia during a briefing successful Washington.

The elder medication authoritative confirmed the complaints, which were reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal, and said that it appeared that astatine slightest 2 embassy employees had reported the symptoms.

President Iván Duque of Colombia said his state was alert of the reports. In an interrogation with The New York Times connected Tuesday, Mr. Duque said portion the United States was taking the lead, Colombia’s quality work was besides investigating.

More than 200 U.S. authorities officials — spies, diplomats, subject troops and others — person been afflicted by the unwellness implicit the past 5 years successful diplomatic missions successful respective countries, including Cuba. Reports of an outbreak successful Hanoi, Vietnam, delayed Vice President Kamala Harris’s visit successful August by a fewer hours.

Though the origins of Havana Syndrome stay unknown, its symptoms are akin to those caused by surveillance instrumentality utilized by Russia during the Cold War. As precocious arsenic this summer, however, U.S. quality officials were struggling to find grounds that the information was a effect of microwave attacks by Russian agents — a theory enactment guardant successful a study by the National Academy of Sciences successful December.

More than fractional the victims person been C.I.A. employees, and Congress has approved much support for U.S. officials who person been affected by the illness. Last month, the House Intelligence Committee besides demanded much resources to assistance find the origin of the illnesses and to reappraisal the C.I.A.’s handling of cases.

The National Security Council and the State Department person created task forces to analyse the reported injuries, which were a apical interest for Mr. Blinken adjacent earlier helium took office. He is not expected to cancel oregon hold his travel to Colombia, during which helium is apt to code the contented of migrants and the governmental and humanitarian situation successful neighboring Venezuela.

Mr. Price said the State Department had sought to beryllium much unfastened with employees astir reported attacks astatine diplomatic posts, aggressively tried to place their origin and provided attraction to radical who complained of symptoms.

“We person taken a fig of steps, including successful presumption of communication, successful presumption of care, successful presumption of detection, successful presumption of extortion for our enactment force,” helium said. “And that is thing that volition proceed to beryllium a precedence for the secretary.”

Julian E. Barnes contributed reporting.