US expels two Cuban diplomats over medical incidents

Trump is taking matter 'very seriously' as Cuban government has responsibility to protect US: Nauert

The US has announced that it had expelled two Cuban diplomats in May after "some" American officials at Washington's embassy in Havana reported "incidents which have caused a variety of physical symptoms".

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert made the announcement on Wednesday at a daily press briefing after being asked about "incidents" at the US Embassy in Cuba in 2016, about which she did not provide further details, reports Efe news.

Nauert said that the Donald Trump administration is taking the matter "very seriously" because the Cuban government has the responsibility to protect US personnel on its territory under the Geneva Convention.

The US has been investigating the "incidents" for months, but Nauert said that the administration does not know "the source or the cause" of the matter or how many people were affected.

She also did not say how many US officials remained at the embassy in Havana as a result of the incidents or whether they have been replaced, but she did say that all of those affected are State Department personnel and not private US citizens.

The spokeswoman did not say what type of "physical symptoms" the officials experienced because - she asserted - US government policy is not to provide details concerning medical issues affecting its citizens.

She said that some US personnel had the option to leave Cuba for health reasons, and as a result of that Washington had asked two Cuban officials to leave the US and they did so.

When asked why the Cuban officials were expelled in May if the incidents occurred in 2016, Nauert said only that it takes time to determine what occurred because it requires "medical exams".