An exclusive investigation by The Globe and Mail, released this Saturday, uncovers that Canadian diplomats gathered intelligence for American operatives in Cuba between 2016 and 2018, coinciding with the onset of the mysterious symptoms known as "Havana Syndrome" affecting officials from both nations.
The revelation stems from two anonymous sources who could face charges under Canada's Foreign Interference and Information Security Act and had never been reported previously.
Covert Espionage Activities in Havana
According to the Canadian newspaper, a diplomat working under the Global Security Reporting Program (GSRP) at the Havana embassy collected human intelligence, occasionally passing it directly to CIA agents stationed at the U.S. embassy. "Sometimes, they were asked to deliver the information straight to a CIA agent," one source described.
The intelligence was also shared with the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), and other members of the Five Eyes alliance, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
A second source disclosed that the U.S. secretly brought satellite equipment into Cuba, concealed within diplomatic containers protected from inspection by the Vienna Convention. These devices were reportedly installed on the roof of the Canadian embassy and at the residences of certain diplomats. "The satellites could be used for anything. For the internet. For whatever you wanted," the source stated.
Strategic Advantage of Canada in Cuba
The collaboration was driven by clear geopolitical reasoning: Ottawa maintained diplomatic ties with Havana after 1959, granting its diplomats privileged access to Cuban officials and the ability to travel outside the capital, a privilege denied to Americans who only had a chargé d'affaires in the island during that time.
This same advantage might have made Canadians a target.
Former National Security Advisor to Donald Trump, John Bolton, claimed in 2023 that Canadian diplomats were attacked by Cuban "hard-line" factions "with the cooperation" of an unidentified country, as these factions did not "appreciate Canada's involvement in normalizing relations between the U.S. and Cuba."
Ottawa Denies, Yet Oversight Body Contradicts
Global Affairs Canada dismissed the revelations, asserting that its diplomats "conduct diplomatic activities openly, legally, and in compliance with the Vienna Convention," and that the GSRP "is not an intelligence-gathering program," according to the ministry.
However, Canada's national security oversight body (NSIRA) concluded in 2023 that the program operated in a "clearly gray area" between diplomacy and intelligence, with inadequate controls, and that some of its members maintained contacts with foreign intelligence agencies.
The Legal Battle Ottawa Hopes to Suppress
The revelations shake a multi-million dollar lawsuit filed by Canadian diplomats against the government, initiated in 2019 by ten officials and their families.
By 2021, the plaintiffs had grown to 18, demanding $28 million, claiming Ottawa denied them medical care, concealed information, and downplayed the severity of their brain injuries.
In 2025, the government invoked Section 38 of the Canada Evidence Act—a rarely used provision typically reserved for terrorism cases—to prevent certain details of the case from becoming public.
The Department of Justice confirmed this Saturday the use of that statute.
Paul Miller, lead attorney for the diplomats, bluntly characterized the move: "It's a major stalling tactic." His clients watch with frustration as the U.S. already made its first payments under the HAVANA Act in July 2026, disbursing nearly $3 million in compensation, while Ottawa refuses to reach a settlement.
Unresolved Origins of the Syndrome
The symptoms reported by Canadian and American diplomats between 2016 and 2018 included nosebleeds, dizziness, headaches, blurred vision, and memory loss.
Canada officially concluded in 2024 that there was no evidence of a malicious act by a foreign power.
However, new intelligence reports from March 2026 once again pointed to Russia's GRU Unit 29155 as a possible culprit, linking the attacks to a miniaturized microwave weapon.
The question now looming over the case is whether the intelligence collaboration between Canada and the U.S. on Cuban soil was precisely what made Canadian diplomats targets, and if Ottawa has been using national security as a shield to hide its own accountability for years.
Key Questions on the Havana Syndrome and Diplomatic Intelligence
What is the "Havana Syndrome"?
The "Havana Syndrome" refers to a set of mysterious symptoms experienced by diplomats and officials in Cuba, including dizziness, headaches, and memory loss, first reported between 2016 and 2018.
What role did Canadian diplomats play in intelligence gathering in Cuba?
Canadian diplomats collected intelligence for American operatives in Cuba, sharing information with the CIA and other intelligence partners, leveraging their unique access due to Canada's sustained diplomatic relations with Cuba.
Why is the Canadian government facing a lawsuit from its diplomats?
Canadian diplomats have sued the government for denying them medical care, concealing information, and minimizing their injuries related to the "Havana Syndrome," seeking compensation for these grievances.