Six years after the abduction of two Cuban doctors in Kenya, the Cuban government has once again accused the United States of obstructing efforts to determine their fate.
Doctors Assiel Herrera and Landy Rodríguez were kidnapped in 2019 while serving on an international medical mission in the Kenyan city of Mandera, a region close to the Somali border known for insecurity and militant activity.
In a statement posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez marked the sixth anniversary of the abduction by emphasizing that locating the two doctors remains a top priority for the Cuban government.
“The two Cuban doctors, Assiel and Landy, were abducted in Kenya while carrying out a humanitarian mission. Efforts are ongoing to clarify their situation, with unwavering attention and commitment from the highest levels of the Party and the Cuban government,” Rodríguez wrote.
Despite the Cuban government’s repeated declarations, no new details have been made public about the doctors’ current condition or whereabouts, or whether they are still alive.
Cuban state media have linked the doctors’ possible location to an area targeted by a U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) airstrike in February 2024. The airstrike reportedly fueled speculation about their deaths, although Havana stressed that the information remains inconclusive.
The two doctors were part of a contingent of 110 Cuban medical professionals deployed to Kenya in 2018 under a bilateral cooperation agreement aimed at improving healthcare services in rural areas.
According to local reports, the doctors were abducted in the northeastern town of Mandera by armed men believed to be affiliated with the al-Qaeda-linked militant group Al-Shabaab. The attackers had ambushed a security convoy, killing a Kenyan police officer before seizing the two medics.
Mandera lies in a volatile region frequently targeted by Al-Shabaab, which has sought to pressure the Kenyan government to withdraw its troops from neighboring Somalia.
Following the 2024 airstrike, confusion and concern spread across Cuba. President Miguel Díaz-Canel vowed that the country would never forget its missing doctors, reaffirming that their safe return remains a national priority.
However, six years on, Cuban authorities continue to hold Washington responsible for not providing clear information regarding the outcome of the airstrike or whether the doctors were among those affected.
With the new U.S. administration prioritizing an “America First” agenda, Havana fears that resolving the doctors’ case may be further deprioritized on the international stage.
