The US Embassy in Cuba announced on Wednesday that it had reopened its consular section after suspending US visas for Cubans in Havana for several years.

"Welcome to the embassy after so much time," said a Cuban employee to a small group of people waiting for their appointments in the consular section. The employee was quoted by AFP.

The U.S. embassy staff in Cuba was significantly reduced under the previous Washington administration, which claimed that more than 40 U.S. diplomats had been injured in Havana since November 2016 as a result of some external influence, called acoustic attacks in the press.

The United States authorities held Cuba responsible for these incidents. In September 2017, the United States recalled 60% of the staff of its embassy in Havana to their homeland, and then demanded a reduction in the number of Cuban diplomatic missions in Washington by 15 people. Havana has repeatedly denied involvement in incidents with American diplomats.