Category: Other countries

U.S. Official Says U.S. Will Not Negotiate Removal of Cuba as State Sponsor of Terrorism    

On April 30, Brian Nichols, the U.S. Undersecretary of State for the Western Hemisphere, conducted a press conference in Miami, Florida.[i]

He said, “The list of countries sponsoring terrorism is not something we can negotiate ; it is a legal process of analysis within various Government departments that finally reaches the Secretary of State for designation. The importance of respecting people’s rights is a different issue.”

He also said that the Biden Administration does not see a fracture in the power leadership of the Cuban regime. “I think instead of speculating after 60 years of that it’s better to focus on the government’s actions.”

On another topic, Nichols mentioned some of the possible Cuban changes that the US and the international community would see as a gesture of goodwill: “They can implement policies that allow more democracy, more freedom of expression. Release the political prisoners they hold, allow peaceful expression and differences with the Government. Allowing broader private economic activities. All of this would be a favorable change for the Cuban people and would be something very welcome by the international community.”

[i] Brian A. Nichols: ‘the removal of Havana from the list of state sponsors of terrorism is not negotiated, Diario de Cuba (May 1, 2024).

U.S. Condemns Cuba’s “Outrageous” Sentences of Protesters   

In August 2022 many Cuban citizens engaged in protests calling for an end to the “unbearable blackouts that made life impossible for the residents of several regions of Cuba during that summer.”[1]

On or about April 29, 2024, a Cuban court sentenced some of those individuals to 10 to 15 years imprisonment.

Later that same day U.S. Undersecretary of State, Brian A. Nichols, said on Twitter, “The harsh sentence this week of up to 15 years in prison for the Cubans who peacefully gathered in Nuevitas in 2022 is outrageous.The Cuban Government’s continued repression against Cubans who strive to fulfill their basic rights and needs is inconceivable.”

Expressing the same reaction was the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights, “These brutal sentences, the majority between ten and 15 years, are part of the repression suffered by Cubans who express themselves critically about the current situation in the country.” The Observatory added, “We are facing a hatred of the Cuban people that has no compassion for anyone and that does not even listen to the large number of requests in favor of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, including those of the Catholic Church.”

Cuban authorities also mentioned that the crime of sedition, which authorizes sentences of  life imprisonment and even the death penalty,  was contemplated for use against those who promote or participate in massive protests in Cuba that endanger the regime and its control institutions.[2]

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[1] ‘Outrageous,’ the US describes the sentences against the Nuevitas protesters, Diario de Cuba (April 30, 2024); Nichols, Twitter Post (April 29, 2024),

[2] The regime threatens to apply life imprisonment or death in case of mass protests, Diario de Cuba (April 26, 2024).

Cuban Private Enterprises Offer Opportunities on the Island 

Since 2021, with Cuban government approval,  “roughly 10,200 new Cuban private businesses have opened, creating a dynamic, if fledgling, alternative economy. . . . About 1.5 million people work for private businesses, a 30 percent jump since 2021, and they now represent almost half of the total work force on the Caribbean island” and about 15% of gross domestic production. While “Cubans working for the state, including white-collar professionals, doctors and teachers, make the equivalent of roughly $15 a month in Cuban pesos, . . . employees in the private sector can make five to 10 times that amount.”[1]

Last year, this sector imported roughly $1 billion of goods, mostly from the U.S. and mostly financed by cash remittances sent by Cubans in the U.S. to their relatives back home. “Across Havana, new delis and cafes are appearing, while entire office floors are leasing space to young entrepreneurs bursting with business plans and products, from construction and software to clothes and furniture.”

An example of such businesses is two Home Deli markets in Havana, which offers a mix of locally made items like pasta and ice cream and imported goods like beer and cereals. They are owned by Diana Sainz, who had lived and worked in Europe, but who returned home to Cuba to open and operate these stores.

Another example is a Havana restaurant, La Carreta, that was reopened by a local restaurant owner and Obel Martinez, a Cuban-Amereican interior decorator based in Miami.

The Cuban government, however, could do more to build this sector. Such businesses are limited to 100 employees. Cuba’s state-owned banks do not allow account holders to access deposits in dollars to pay importers because of the government’s lack of foreign currency to pay its own bills. U.S. sanctions also prohibit direct banking between the United States and Cuba. And the Cuban government has kept major industries off limits to private ownership, including mining and tourism.

Benjamin Ziff, the chargé d’affaires who heads the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, observes, “Cuba is falling apart faster than it is being rebuilt. There is no turning back.’’ He wonders “whether the [Cuban] government will allow the private sector “to expand fast enough and freely enough to meet the challenges.”

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[1] Adams, In a Communist Stronghold, Capitalists Become an Economic Lifeline, N.Y. Times (April 29, 3024).

Cubans Have Difficulty Obtaining Pesos  

In recent weeks, ordinary Cubans have begun to form lines outside banks and ATMs in the Cuban capital in search of money to pay for the products or services they use daily.[1]

Omar Everleny Pérez, a Cuban economist and professor at several foreign universities,  listed at least four reasons for the lack of cash in ATMs: a growing fiscal deficit, the nonexistence of bills with a denomination greater than 1,000 Cuban pesos (equivalent to three dollars in the parallel market), high inflation and the non-return of money to the banks.

Perez also says “various private economic actors such as small or medium-sized businessmen who receive that money for transactions, but do not deliver it to the bank out of distrust that they will not be able to withdraw them later or to convert them into dollars as quickly as possible before they depreciate.”

Cuba’s Minister of Economy and Planning, Joaquín Alonso Vázquez, said that for the first quarter of 2024, income from exports decreased, imports also decreased, and different key economic activities are not fulfilled, such as the main agricultural production, sugar and other derivatives, as well as electricity generation.[2]

Another Cuban Minister, Vladimir Regueiro Ale (Finance and Prices), said that the budget deficit stood at 22,822 million pesos. The figure is lower than planned, but around 20% of “this decrease was due to the non-execution of a group of Budget items that have a great impact, especially on social policies.“

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[1] The cash shortage deepens the agony of Cubans in crisis, Diario de Cuba (April 29, 2024).

[2] ‘Unfavorable outlook’: the government falls short in the face of the chaos of the economy in Cuba, Diario de Cuba (April 29, 2024).

 

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: Cuba’s Abuse of Power Goes Against the Rule of Law          

In its April 25th annual report on international human rights, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights asserted that Cuba is in  “serious violation of the fundamental elements and institutions of representative democracy, among them, an abusive exercise of power that contradicts the rule of law in the face of the systematic infringement of the independence of the Judiciary.”[1]

The lack of independence and the abuse of power, which hinder the exercise of human rights by Cubans, are based on the “continuity of a single-party political model;  the concentration of faculties and powers for the conduct of public affairs; and the subordination of the administration of justice to political power.”

“Although the Cuban Electoral Law allows the free political participation of citizens,” in practice “the Communist Party continues to regulate, control and direct the electoral processes in the country.”

“The limitations on the exercise of political participation, derived from the single-party system and the monopoly of power in a single political group, result in the emptying of the fundamental essence (minimum content) of political rights.”

Although Article 150 of the 2019 Constitution establishes that “magistrates and judges, in their function of administering justice, are independent and owe obedience only to the law,” in practice, this independence is not respected, as demonstrated by testimonies from former members of the Cuban Judicial System.

In 2023, the IACHR received “”numerous complaints of massive violations of freedom, security and personal integrity; protection against arbitrary detention; the inviolability of the home, and the freedom of movement and transportation of Cuban people.”

“The IACHR also expressed concern about Cuba’s high incarceration rate — which has the second-highest prison population in the world , as confirmed in January by World Prison Brief (WPB)—as well as the deplorable detention conditions that characterize Cuban prisons. and the use of torture and ill-treatment practices against prisoners.”

Similar conclusions were made by the V-Dem Institute at Sweden’s University of Gothenburg, which  classified  Cuba as a “closed autocracy.”

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[1] IACHR Annual Report 2023 highlights challenges in human rights and democratic institutions (April 25, 2024); Abuse of power, intimidation, high incarceration rate: Chapter on Cuba of the IACHR annual report, Diario de Cuba (April 26, 2024).

 

U.S. National Institutes of Health Finds Severe Symptoms of “Havana Syndrome,” But No MRI-detectable Brain Injury or Biological Abnormalities

On March 18, 2024, the U.S. National Institutes of Health announced that it had found “no significant evidence of MRI-detectable brain injury, nor differences in most clinical measures compared to controls, among a group of federal employees who experienced anomalous health incidents (AHIs). These incidents, including hearing noise and experiencing head pressure followed by headache, dizziness, cognitive dysfunction and other symptoms, have been described in the news media as “Havana Syndrome.” [1]

However, the Institutes also stated, “While we did not identify significant differences in participants with AHIs, it’s important to acknowledge that these symptoms are very real, cause significant disruption in the lives of those affected and can be quite prolonged, disabling and difficult to treat.”

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[1] NIH studies find severe symptoms of “Havana Syndrome,” but no evidence of MRI-detectable brain injury or biological abnormalities, NIH News Release (Mar. 18, 2024).

 

 

Amnesty International’s Critical Report on Cuban Human Rights   

On April 24, Amnesty International released its annual report on human rights in the world. [1] The following is its critical section on Cuba (pp. 142-44).

[INTRODUCTION]

“Repression of dissent continued asactivists, political opponents and journalistswere harassed, persecuted and imprisoned.Human rights defenders faced obstaclesand attacks, and some continued to beincarcerated without due process. The economic and humanitarian crisis continued with shortages of food, fuel and electricity. Discrimination remained prevalent, affecting Afro-descendants,women and girls, LGBTI people, politicaldissidents, and members of religious communities.”

“BACKGROUND”

“Cuba lacked a national human rightsinstitution in compliance with the ParisPrinciples, the country remained closed to international human rights organizations, and the international media faced obstacles in monitoring the trials of political dissidents.In November, the EU and Cuba held their fourth human rights dialogue, at which the EU expressed concern over detentions and lengthy prison sentences related to protests in July 2021 (see below, Repression of dissent). The year saw the implementation of a new Penal Code that retained the death penalty, as well as provisions that limited human rights and were used to silence and imprison activists.”

“REPRESSION OF DISSENT”

“Surveillance and harassment of activists, opponents, journalists and artists continued to be widespread. Arbitrary detention and criminal processes without fair trial guarantees remained common and people deprived of liberty faced harsh prison conditions. At least 793 people remained in detention in relation to their participation in the islandwide protests of 11 July 2021, according to the organization Justicia11J. On 6 May, the government reacted with excessive force against people protesting at the poor living conditions and lack of human rights in Caimanera municipality, Guantánamo province. Law enforcement officials used physical violence, and at least five demonstrators were arbitrarily detained, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which condemned the pattern of repression. On 26 May, the Cuban legislature approved a law on social communication that continued the ban on privately owned media and established abusive restrictions on public information and internet use. The law granted the government power to order telecommunications providers to stop servicing users who published information deemed harmful to public order or morality. José Daniel Ferrer García, a political activist and opposition leader, in prison since July 2021 when he was also subjected to enforced disappearance, was held incommunicado while his health declined. At the end of the year, he was still deprived of his liberty. Police commonly issued summons for journalists and activists to be interrogated in relation to their lawful activities. In May,reporter Yeris Curbelo Aguilera was interrogated by state security forces after covering the protests in Caimanera municipality.”

“HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS”

“Human rights defenders and activists continued to be harassed, attacked and criminalized. On 14 February, state security agents arrested Josiel Guía Piloto at his home in Havana. He had previously been arbitrarily detained in 2011 due to his political dissent. At the time of his arrest, he was on hunger strike in protest at the constant harassment and surveillance to which he was beings ubjected. The government continued to incarcerate artists and prisoners of conscience Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and Maykel “Osorbo” Castillo Pérez, who were sentenced in 2022 to five and nine years in prison, respectively, in a legal process that did not respect fair trial guarantees. Their physical and mental integrity was at risk due to harsh prison conditions, violence by other detainees, and poor medical care. The authorities rejected the recommendation by governmental medical staff to release Loreto Hernández García from prison due to his frail health. Spouses Loreto Hernández García and Donaida Pérez Paseiro, both Black activists, priests and leaders of the Free Yoruba Association of Cuba, are prisoners of conscience, detained since 2021 for peaceful participation in island-wide protests. During 2023, Loreto Hernández García’s health deteriorated and both prisoners faced obstacles in communicating with their families.”

“ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS”

“The economic and humanitarian crisis continued, with shortages of essential goods.People struggled to find enough food, fuel shortages made transportation less accessible, and blackouts were ongoing throughout the year. In May, the government stated that essential imports of fuel, food and farm produce were affected by the economic crisis. The government reiterated the critical situation in September when further blackouts were forecast. The economic crisis affected the health system and there were reports of shortages of medical supplies and medicines, as well as fewer medical staff being available. In April, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights expressed its concerns in a report on labour and union rights in Cuba and found significant challenges. The commission detailed job insecurity, lack of health and safety measures, unjustified dismissals on the grounds of political opinion, violations of the right to freedom of association, and lack of recognition of the right to strike, among other concerns.”

“DISCRIMINATION”

“Discrimination persisted, affecting in particular Afro-descendants, women and girls, LGBTI people, political dissidents, and members of religious communities. Afro-descendants continued to suffer the consequences of systemic and historical racism. Activists reported that racial inequalities persisted, creating racial disparities in political representation, access to adequate housing, and employment, among other rights. The state did not collect and publish data on racial inequalities disaggregated by race and ethnicity. Gender-based discrimination continued. Lawmakers failed to include femicide as a crime in the Penal Code, while local NGOs and journalists registered the deaths of at least 86 women in what appeared to be gender-based attacks.”

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[1] Surveillance, arbitrary arrests, unfair trials, prison abuses: Cuba in the Amnesty International report, Diario de Cuba (April 24, 2024);

Amnesty International, The State of the World’s Human Rights: April 2024.

 

Latest U.S. Report on International Human Rights  

On April  22, 2024, the U.S. State Department released its 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.[1]

Below are its Preface and Executive Summary about Cuban human rights.

Preface

The Report’s Preface by Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, stated the following:

“As mandated by Congress, every year since 1977, the State Department’s dedicated public servants in U.S. missions abroad and in Washington scrupulously examine, track, and document the state of human rights in nearly 200 countries and territories around the world.  In compiling these “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices,” commonly known as the Human Rights Report (HRR), we have drawn from a variety of credible, fact-based sources, including reporting from government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and media.  The HRR helps connect U.S. diplomatic and foreign assistance efforts to the fundamental American value of protecting and promoting respect for human rights for all, while helping to inform the work of civil society, human rights defenders, scholars, multilateral institutions, and others.”

“The President’s Summit for Democracy underscores the United States’ commitment to advancing respect for human rights, and to the promotion of democracy as the most effective system of government to secure them.  We are pleased the third Summit for Democracy took place this year under the Republic of Korea’s leadership.  Through the Summits for Democracy, the United States and other participating governments, along with partners from civil society, youth, and other stakeholders, seek to cement progress in human rights, foster democratic reforms, expand space for independent media, advance women’s rights, combat corruption, and make technology work for democracies and their people, not misused by malign actors as a tool of repression.”

“The year covered by this HRR coincided with the 75th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).  In commemoration of the anniversary, the United States made several new commitments, including to renew investments around the world in democracy and human rights, to help protect human rights defenders online, and to advance racial and gender justice in the United States.”

“In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, one of the authors of the UDHR, ‘The destiny of human rights is in the hands of all our citizens in all our communities.’  We hope that this Report proves a useful contribution to that shared global effort, by chronicling both sobering developments in specific countries, as well as evidence of progress.”

“The Kremlin’s disregard and contempt for human rights are on full display in its war against Ukraine.  Russian forces employ violence against civilians as a deliberate tool of warfare.  The Report highlights documentation of human rights violations and abuses – some amounting to crimes against humanity – throughout the second year of Russia’s brutal, full-scale invasion of Ukraine.  Civilians, including Ukrainian children, have suffered egregious abuses by Russian forces and other Russian officials.  Tens of thousands of Ukrainian children have been transferred within Russia-occupied parts of Ukraine and/or deported to Russia, in many cases taken from their parents or lawful guardians and forced to take Russian names and citizenship.  Russia is cracking down on its own citizens, bringing spurious criminal charges against hundreds of Russians who have spoken against Putin’s war of aggression.”

“Across Sudan, the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces have unleashed horrific violence, death, and destruction, including mass killings, unjust detentions, rape, and other forms of gender-based violence.  In December, I determined that members of both forces engaged in war crimes, and that members of the Rapid Support Forces and allied militia engaged in crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.  Elsewhere in Africa, Uganda’s government took aim at the human rights of all Ugandans, enacting a broad, draconian anti-LGBTQI+ legislation, including the death penalty for ‘serial offenders.’”

“The conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza continues to raise deeply troubling concerns for human rights.  Hamas’ brutal terrorist attacks on October 7 killed around 1,200 people, took approximately 230 Israeli and foreign hostages, and included appalling abuses, including gender-based violence and sexual violence.  As Israel exercises its right to self-defense, we have made clear that it must conduct military operations in accordance with international law and take every feasible precaution to protect civilians.  We continue to urgently raise concerns surrounding the deaths of and injuries to tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, including women, children, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable persons.  We repeatedly have pressed concerns about Palestinian civilians’ access to humanitarian assistance, displacement of the majority of the population of Gaza, and the unprecedented number of journalists killed.  We have repeatedly condemned Hamas’ abhorrent misuse of civilians and civilian infrastructure as human shields and its continued refusal to release all hostages.  We also continue to condemn the record levels of violence in the West Bank, including attacks by violent extremist settlers against Palestinian civilians.”

“The Report illuminates the ongoing and brutal human rights abuses in Iran, where the regime’s violent repression of its citizens occurs at home and even abroad, including through acts of transnational repression targeting the regime’s perceived dissidents and critics.  Iranian women and members of marginalized communities continue to suffer disproportionately from the regime’s human rights violations and abuses.  Once detained, many prisoners have been harshly punished and even executed for spurious or unjust reasons.”

“The Report illustrates the Taliban’s systemic mistreatment of and discrimination against Afghanistan’s women and girls.  The Taliban have issued over 50 decrees and edicts that effectively erase women from public life.  Credible sources cited in the Report describe how the military regime in Burma continues to use brutal violence against the general population to consolidate its control, killing more than 4,000 people and detaining more than 25,000.”

“The Report documents ongoing grave human rights abuses in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).  For example, in Xinjiang, the PRC continues to carry out genocide, crimes against humanity, forced labor, and other human rights violations against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups.”

“In Cuba, more than 1,000 political prisoners are reportedly unjustly detained and subjected to harsh treatment; their family members are targets of threats as well.  In Nicaragua, the Ortega-Murillo regime closed more than 300 civil society organizations in 2023, bringing the number of shuttered organizations to more than 3,500.  The regime also stripped more than 300 individuals of their citizenship and is holding more than 100 political prisoners in appalling conditions.” (Emphasis added.)

“Yet, encouraging developments also can be found in this Report.  For example, although members of marginalized and minority communities continued to suffer disproportionately from human rights violations and abuses in 2023, several countries made important progress.  Kenya affirmed that freedom of expression and of assembly extend to LGBTQI+ persons. Japan enacted a bill to promote understanding of LGBTQI+ issues.  LGBTQI+ persons in Estonia and Slovenia now benefit from legislation recognizing marriage equality.”

“To advance the rights and freedoms of persons with disabilities, the Ministry of Education in Jordan appointed 600 individuals to implement inclusive education programming across the country to ensure children with disabilities could attend school and have the necessary support to enable their learning.”

“The Report also notes advances in implementing labor reforms in Mexico, where workers are overcoming obstacles to organizing and starting to improve working conditions.  As I noted when I helped launch the Biden-Harris Administration’s Global Labor Directive at APEC in San Francisco, advancing labor rights globally boosts American workers and bolsters middle class aspirations here at home.”

“This Report could not have been compiled without the selfless work of human rights defenders, independent journalists, and other civil society leaders whose daily work to advance human rights is an inspiration to us all.  I hope that the honest and public assessments of human rights abuses, as well as the reports of progress, reflected in these pages gives strength to these brave individuals across the globe who often put their lives at risk to improve conditions in their own countries, and, ultimately, make the world a freer, safer place for us all.”

Executive Summary about Cuba. [2]

“There were no significant changes in the human rights situation in Cuba during the year.”

“Significant human rights issues included credible reports of: arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings; torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment by the government; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention; serious problems with the independence of the judiciary; political prisoners; transnational repression against individuals in another country; arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy; punishment of family members for alleged offenses by a relative; serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom, including violence or threats of violence against journalists, unjustified arrests or prosecutions of journalists, censorship, and enforcement or threat to enforce criminal libel laws to limit expression; serious restrictions on internet freedom; substantial interference with the freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association, including overly restrictive laws on the organization, funding, or operation of nongovernmental and civil society organizations; restrictions of religious freedom; restrictions on freedom of movement and residence within the country and on the right to leave the country; inability of citizens to change their government peacefully through free and fair elections; serious and unreasonable restrictions on political participation; serious government corruption; extensive gender-based violence, including femicide and other forms of such violence; trafficking in persons, including a policy or pattern of state-sponsored forced labor; and prohibiting independent trade unions and significant and systematic restrictions on workers’ freedom of association.””

“The government did not take significant steps to identify and punish officials who may have committed human rights abuses.”

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[1] U.S. State Dep’t, 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices (Apeil 22, 2024).

[2] U.S. State Dep’t, 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Cuba (April 22, 2024); The US State Department has ‘credible reports’ on arbitrary executions and torture in Cuba, Diario de Cuba April 22, 2024).

Accelerating Inflation in Cuba 

Cuba’s official inflation reached 33.17% in March with fuel and food prices increasing the cost of living for the people. According to Cuban economist Pedro Monreal, “without an increase in food supply, it is difficult to assume that inflation in Cuba would be substantially reduced.” [1]

Another Cuban economist, Omar Everleny Pérez, on the basis of maximum prices from the state National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI), estimated that the current cost of the minimum basic food basket for two people in Cuba is almost 20,000 pesos a month, which is much higher than the national minimum wage of 2,100 pesos.

Another major factor in Cuban inflation is the falling value of the Cuban peso in international markets. For example, on April 10, U.S. economist Steve Hanke, an academic at Johns Hopkins University, said that since January 23, the Cuban peso has depreciated 49% against the dollar.[2]

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[1] Inflation accelerates in Cuba: fuel and food dominate the rise in prices, Diario de Cuba (April 20, 2024);

[2] Euro and dollar, unstoppable, and the salary of Cubans increasingly meagre, Diario de Cuba (April 21, 2024)

 

Bipartisan Group of U.S. Senators Call for Reassessment of So-Called Havana Syndrome 

On April 12 a bipartisan group of eight U.S. Senators sent a letter to President Biden calling for a “renewed assessment . . . to identify the cause behind directed energy attacks” . . . and “review of the March 2023 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) of AHHs.”[1]

This letter said, “Most recently, some . . . [former intelligence officials, service members and diplomats] have told Congress that the Intelligence Community has not followed all credible leads about AHIs or that the Intelligence Community is in possession of information that undermines or contradicts the assessment provided by the National Intelligence Council in March 2023 that ‘available intelligence consistently points against the involvement of US adversaries in causing the reported incidents.’”

“First, we request an interagency briefing with officials from all relevant government agencies to discuss the allegations that have been raised in recent media coverage, outline continued efforts to investigate the cause behind anomalous health incidents, communicate hoe the interagency is undertaking efforts to protect the health and safety of U.S. government employees serving domestically and abroad and provide an update on full implementation of the HAVANA Act.”

“Second, . . there are still a number of individuals who have not received compensation due to unacceptable delays at the Department of Justice and the Department of Defense. The Department of Justice has yet to finalize implementing guidance that also impacts affected individuals in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. We urge you to call on the Department of Justice to finalize the draft rule without delay. . . . Additionally the Department of Defense has yet to issue the federal regulations required under statute.”

Third, as members of the relevant Congressional Committees with the responsibility to respond to this issue, we hope to partner with your Administration to advance any new legislation that may be required to both get to the root cause behind AHHs and ensure that victim get access to the treatment they deserve.

This letter was signed by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (NH, Dem), Susan Collins (ME, Rep), Kristen Gillibrand (NY, Dem), Marco Rubio (FL, Rep), Mark R, Warner (VA, Dem), Roger F. Wicker (Miss, Rep), James E. Risch (ID, Rep),and Benjamin L. Cardin (MD, Dem).

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[1] Chasan, Ohara, Senators call for renewed Havana Syndrome assessment after 60 Minutes report, CBS News (April 17, 2024); Letter to President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. from the above Senators (April 12, 2024). This blog has published numerous posts regarding this Syndrome.