Esteban Lazo Hernández, member of the Political Bureau of the Party and president of the National Assembly of People's Power, has traveled to the Republic of Kenya, as High Level Special Envoy, to carry out urgent negotiations with the highest authorities of that country, in the search for cooperation and clarification, in light of the recent news published about the possible unconfirmed death of doctors Assel Herrera Correa and Landy Rodríguez Hernández, kidnapped in that country, on April 12, 2019.
A communiqué from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Minrex) of Cuba states that, since the first hours of receiving the news, the Government of Cuba has given absolute priority to the efforts that, by various means and on behalf of different international actors, are being carried out in order to obtain the most objective information regarding the facts, until all possibilities are exhausted to confirm the situation of our compatriots.
In this framework, since last Sunday, and in addition to the negotiations and communication with the Government of Kenya, official contacts have been initiated with the Government of Somalia, in search of precision on the reported military operations, the Minrex text cites.
It adds that, according to various press media citing the United States African Command (Africom), the event took place on the night of February 15, 2024, during a drone bombing by the US armed forces in the town of Dilib, in Somalia, where the hostages were being held. This information was ratified on February 19, by a spokeswoman for Africom, as reported by CNN.
The Minrex contacted, through diplomatic channels, the Government of the United States on Sunday, February 18, in search of clarification, and is still awaiting a response.
So far, there is no public statement from the U.S. Government or from its friendly forces confirming the news regarding the kidnapped Cuban collaborators, or denying what has been reported. There is no knowledge of the circumstances and characteristics of the military operation that the Africom spokeswoman confirms occurred, whether it was justified, and whether it was carried out with the obligatory care to avoid collateral damage, protect civilians and innocents, and with due respect for international humanitarian law.
It is an issue about which international organizations have expressed serious concern in the past, the document points out.
