The Cuban Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodríguez, declared that "efforts are ongoing" to shed light on the status of Cuban doctors Assel Herrera Correa and Landy Rodríguez Hernández, who were kidnapped in Kenya by the Somali jihadist group Al Shabab back in 2019. On the social platform X, the official reminded that this Saturday marks six years since the doctors' abduction, emphasizing that the search for answers is receiving "continuous attention and commitment from the highest levels of the Party and the Cuban Government."
Nevertheless, Rodríguez did not reveal the specific actions taken or the path followed to clarify the situation, especially after the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) conducted an operation in 2024 against Al Shabab in the region where the Cuban doctors were allegedly held.
Official media outlet Prensa Latina reiterated a claim made in 2024, blaming the U.S. government for the lack of clarity regarding the doctors' whereabouts. The article accused the United States of failing to respond "with the urgency and seriousness required" to requests for information about the doctors following a February 15 nighttime attack by AFRICOM in the area where they were located.
The Cuban regime asserted that the U.S. government acknowledged an attack in the vicinity where Herrera Correa and Rodríguez Hernández were, yet no specific details about the location were provided. In its 2024 quarterly civilian casualty assessment report, AFRICOM admitted to an airstrike near Jilib, Somalia, but maintained that it resulted in no civilian casualties, neglecting to mention the Cuban doctors specifically.
The Cuban government continues to shift blame onto the United States, deflecting from its lack of transparency and effective management of the situation. Since the doctors' abduction, the regime's response has been ineffective and clouded by misinformation.
The Cuban Doctors' Ordeal
Doctors Assel Herrera Correa and Landy Rodríguez Hernández were taken hostage on April 12, 2019, in Mandera, Kenya. That day, they were traveling, as usual, in a convoy to the Mandera hospital, secured by armed escorts. They were intercepted during a shootout that resulted in the death of a police officer assigned to their protection. The driver of the vehicle was later convicted in Kenya for complicity in the attack.
In May 2019, traditional leaders from Kenya and Somalia reported seeing the Cuban doctors providing services in the Jubaland region of Somalia, an area under Al Shabab's control. The abductors demanded a $1.5 million ransom for their release.
The Cuban doctors were part of a medical contingent sent to Kenya in 2018 under a bilateral agreement aimed at improving access to specialized healthcare services in the African nation. Since 2007, the United States has conducted multiple military operations against Al Shabab, collaborating with the Somali army.
In August 2022, Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced a "total war" on jihadists, escalating AFRICOM's airstrikes against the terrorist group, which has been affiliated with Al Qaeda since 2012.
FAQs on the Cuban Doctors' Abduction in Kenya
What efforts has Cuba made to find the abducted doctors?
Cuba claims that it is making continuous efforts at the highest levels of government to clarify the status of the doctors. However, specific actions or strategies have not been detailed.
How has the U.S. responded to the situation?
The U.S., through AFRICOM, has conducted military operations against Al Shabab but has been criticized by Cuban media for not providing sufficient information about the doctors' whereabouts.
What was the ransom demand for the Cuban doctors?
The kidnappers reportedly demanded a ransom of $1.5 million for the release of the Cuban doctors.