US to reopen consulate in Cuba, hit by 'sonic attacks'

Washington reduced the US mission to the bare minimum five years ago when then-president Donald Trump accused Havana of carrying out "sonic attacks" targeting embassy staff.

US personnel and their families suffered from mystery illnesses subsequently known as "Havana Syndrome." Similar incidences later occurred at other embassies around the world.

A US government report in 2020 said the illnesses were most likely caused by "directed, pulsed radio frequency (RF) energy."

The consulate "will begin the limited resumption of some immigrant visa services, as part of a gradual expansion of the embassy's functions," said Timothy Zuniga-Brown, the charge d'affaires at the US diplomatic mission in Havana.

The consulate closure was a major blow for Cubans wishing to emigrate to the US as it obliged them to tackle numerous obstacles, among them being forced to travel to Colombia or Guyana to submit a request.