US issues multiple warnings about rising illness and crime in Cuba

The US Embassy in Cuba has multiplied warnings to its citizens over the past week, citing a significant increase in diarrheal illnesses and crime across the island. The alerts come as Washington maintains its policy of maximum pressure against Cuba, including an oil blockade and sanctions that the article says have deepened the country’s energy and economic crisis.

In an alert published on Friday, the embassy said the rise in diarrheal disease was associated with the continuing deterioration of water and energy infrastructure. That decline affects water supplies, as well as food storage and temperature control, the mission said. It reported infections involving bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Shigella, along with other gastrointestinal pathogens.

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The US Embassy has observed a significant increase in diarrheal diseases throughout Cuba, associated with the continued deterioration of water and energy infrastructure.

A separate warning published a week earlier described major health and security challenges caused by water shortages and power cuts. The embassy directly blamed what it called poor management of public infrastructure by Havana’s government. Cuba, in turn, holds Washington responsible for the grave crisis facing the island.

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The deterioration affects water supplies, as well as food storage and temperature control.

The embassy’s third alert, issued three days ago, warned of a notable increase in thefts from unattended vehicles across Havana. It said worsening economic conditions had produced a general rise in crime in Cuba.

The island, under a US embargo since 1962, is experiencing what the article describes as the worst economic crisis in its recent history. Some regions have faced blackouts lasting up to 60 hours, alongside rapidly rising prices and shortages of food and medicine. At the same time, Washington has sent several humanitarian aid shipments in recent months, entrusting their distribution to the Catholic Church, a historic mediator between the two countries.

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The worsening economic conditions have led to a generalized increase in crime in Cuba.