Threats to Cuban Medical Brigades in the Caribbean
On February 25, 2025, the United States Department of State announced the expansion of an existing Cuba-related visa restriction policy applying to “current or former Cuban government officials, including foreign government officials and their immediate family, who are believed to be responsible for, or involved in, the Cuban labour export programme, particularly Cuba’s overseas medical missions.” The State Department described these missions as ‘labor export programs’ that enrich the Cuban government and countries involved are described as complicit in the exploitation, forced labour and human trafficking of Cuban workers.
This compilation focuses on the various responses, in the Caribbean and globally, to this announcement.
Cuba
Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Cuba and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, posted on X, "Once again, Marco Rubio puts his personal agenda before the US interests. The suspension of visas associated to Cuba's international medical cooperation is the seventh unjustified aggressive measure against our population within a month. The decision announced today, based on falsehoods and coercion, is intended to affect health services of millions in Cuba and the world, to benefit special groups of interest for which Rubio does guarantee squandering of the US taxpayers' money.” - X
“The U.S. Secretary of State accuses Cuba of exporting “exploited labor”, as part of a campaign to discredit the prestige of Cuban medical missions, launched during Donald Trump's first presidential term (2017-2021)…As the Cuban Foreign Ministry has repeatedly stated, these accusations seek to associate the island with practices of “modern slavery” and “human trafficking” for the purpose of exploitation, or alleged interference in the internal affairs of the States in which they are located. The U.S. persecution began in Latin America, and has forced the end of cooperation programs in Brazil, Ecuador and Bolivia.” - Granma
Antigua and Barbuda
In a piece by the Friends of Cuba in Antigua and Barbuda, they stated, "The Cuban medical brigades are rooted in the internationalist spirit of the Cuban Revolution, which has long been established policy, and its success can be traced right back to the very beginning of the revolutionary process." They continued, "Here in Antigua and Barbuda, as elsewhere, the work of the Cuban medical brigades has been invaluable, especially in affording us a range and level of specialist services that we so badly lacked until recently, in an increasingly modern society, where healthcare is easily accessible to all...We therefore reject and soundly denounce the repeated false pronouncements made by the evil and uncaring Trump regime, against the Cuban Medical Brigade program, in an effort to vilify the Cuban leadership, demean the internationalist engagements of the Cuban professionals, and cripple the noble revolution. Leaders of the USA and senselessly bitter Miami Cubans choose to be shamelessly loud in pouring scorn on Cuba, a little blockaded and struggling island in the Caribbean, that is coming to the rescue of even countries in the developed world, while the average person in that country, which is the wealthiest in the world, cannot afford healthcare...Meanwhile, here is poor and stoic Cuba, not only taking care of her own, but positioning herself to help the governments of our region and elsewhere to help their people. So helping and supporting Cuba is helping and supporting ourselves. Defending Cuba’s sovereign right to self-determination is defending our own." - Antigua Observer
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has rejected U.S. claims that Cuba’s medical assistance program constitutes human trafficking, defending the critical role Cuban doctors and nurses play in Antigua and Barbuda’s healthcare system and across the Caribbean. The U.S. has raised concerns over how Cuba compensates its medical professionals, with allegations that portions of their earnings go directly to the Cuban government. Browne acknowledged that payment structures could be reviewed but dismissed the need for threats or punitive measures.“If we have to review the payment mechanism, that is something we can look at. But this extraterritorial positioning, articulation, and threats—I don’t know that this is the route we need to go,” he said. - Antigua News Room
Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne says the United States should treat the Caribbean with ‘some degree’ of respect rather than threaten the region over the survival of its healthcare systems. He said, "I believe that CARICOM countries and US officials can discuss how we can structure payments in the future. I don’t see the need for them to threaten us. We are sovereign countries; even though we are small and powerless, they should respect our sovereignty." He claimed, “We are not trying to do anything to hurt our neighbor to the north; that is the most important relationship for practically all of CARICOM countries, and we are inextricably linked in that we have the largest Caribbean diaspora in the United States." He declared, "We are sovereign countries. Their enemies are not our enemies. We are friends of all, enemies of none.” - Caribbean Times
Deputy Political Leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP) Sherfield Bowen has called for a unified Caribbean Community (CARICOM) response to protect vital healthcare partnerships in the region. The Opposition MP stated, "I think that’s what CARICOM should do as a unit, to stand up and say that we are supporting Cuba and the Cuban Brigade, and it has been helpful to us in times of need, and we are to stand up for them." He went on, "I think CARICOM as a unit ought to stand up and say that the Cuban helped us in our time of need when the United States rebuffed us." - Antigua Observer
The Chief of Staff in the Office of the Prime Minister reported that the government will be paying the entire income directly to the Cuban doctors and nurses instead of the normal payment arrangement of 80% of earnings to the medical workers and 20% to the Cuban government. “But we don’t know if that will satisfy the thirst of the Americans for the dismantling of the Cuban Medical Brigade system," he said, “The Americans are mislabeling this activity as trafficking, and we know that it is as a result of politics and not as a result of any legal or constitutional framework being applied. It’s just the politics of the moment. Since 1962 the Cubans have been under a US embargo and every administration tries in tightening the screws so that they can succeed in killing off the Cuban revolution." - Antigua Observer
"We have had discussions with the Cuban Embassy here in Antigua and Barbuda, and we certainly have some indication that it would be fine with them," reported the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Prime Minister regarding the proposed new payment method for Cuban doctors and nurses. "It’s a very clever manner in which the Cubans have gone about ensuring that they can earn foreign currency from their export of nurses and doctors, medical professionals,” he noted. "That’s why the Americans want to kill it,” he said, referring to Cuba’s medical diplomacy program. “For 60-odd years, the Americans have been attempting to undo the Cuban Revolution of 1959. They have tried to put a noose around the Cuban neck in order to ensure that their revolution comes to an end. And they have not succeeded." - Antigua Observer
Bahamas
"The Bahamas is not engaged in any forced labour practices," Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis declared. He said, "We will not be pressured into choices that do not serve the best interest of our people. Within our strategic development framework, we must ensure that our solutions, even when reliant on international support and partnerships, always prioritize the well-being of our people first." - The Bahama Journal
"Losing the handful of Cuban medical professionals in The Bahamas brought in by the Ministry of Health would deal a blow to the optometry program that is helping hundreds of Bahamians dealing with critical eye issues, and could delay treatment for many others awaiting care, Minister of Health Dr. Michael Darville said yesterday." He was asked if Cuban nurses are paid the same as Bahamian nurses he said, "Absolutely. It’s the same salary range as the Bahamian nurses. There’s no differences, and all the labor components that Bahamian nurses get, the Cuban nurses get." The Minister of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, "Government is considering the policy of the Americans, but The Bahamas believes that it follows all international best practices in the recruitment of labor." - The Nassau Guardian
US Chargé d’Affaires in The Bahamas stated The Bahamas has not been targeted by the recently announced US policy regarding Cuba’s overseas medical missions. She said, “The Bahamas is not targeted by this. That went to every embassy in the world." She reported, "The Cuban medical program is something that we’re concerned about. There have been some human rights issues within that program. We’re not aware of any that’s happening in The Bahamas, it’s simply the beginning of the opening of a discussion about that program." She added, "We're not targeting any individual minister of state here. There's no concern here...It's more about the Cuban government and not the Bahamian government." - The Nassau Guardian
Barbados
Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley said she is prepared to lose her United States (US) visa if there is no “sensible agreement” regarding an American government crackdown on countries benefiting from the services of Cuban medical personnel. She noted that while Barbados did not currently have Cuban medical staff or Cuban nurses, “I will be the first to . . . tell you that we could not get through the (COVID-19) pandemic without the Cuban nurses and the Cuban doctors”. She added, "I will also be the first to tell you that we paid them the same thing that we paid Bajans and that the notion as was peddled not just by this Government in the US, but the previous government, that we were involved in human trafficking by engaging with the Cuban nurses, was fully repudiated and rejected by us." - Nation News
Barbados Today published an editorial titled, Our Solidarity with Cuba Remains Unshaken stating, "When the world was at its most vulnerable, when larger and wealthier nations hoarded medical supplies and vaccines, it was Cuba that stood in solidarity with the Caribbean. And now, because of a politically motivated smear campaign, our leaders are being threatened with visa restrictions simply for engaging in a mutually beneficial arrangement with Havana." It pointed out that, "The US claims to champion democracy and human rights, yet it continues to enforce a decades-long economic blockade against Cuba—a policy condemned by the overwhelming majority of members of the United Nations. The embargo has done nothing but exacerbate suffering on the island while failing to achieve its stated goal of regime change. Now, the same US government that turns a blind eye to the human rights abuses of its allies is attempting to dictate how sovereign Caribbean nations manage their healthcare systems. This hypocrisy is staggering." It declared, "Rather than allow the US to dictate the region’s healthcare policies, CARICOM nations must strengthen their cooperation with Cuba. This means expanding medical exchanges, increasing investments in regional healthcare training, and standing firm against any diplomatic blackmail that seeks to undermine these efforts. The time has come for CARICOM to send a unified message to Washington: Our region will not be used as a pawn in its ideological battle against Cuba...One thing is certain — the Caribbean will not be intimidated, and we will not bow to imperialist coercion." - Barbados Today
In another editorial from Barbados Today it stated, "The Caribbean’s relationship with the United States is undeniably complex. As a major trading partner and source of investment, the US wields significant leverage. Its proximity and economic clout make it an indispensable player in the region’s affairs. However, this influence often comes with strings attached, compelling nations to align with the US’ aggressive foreign policy objectives and threatening the region’s sovereignty. On the other hand, Cuba’s contributions to the Caribbean are rooted in a shared sense of struggle and solidarity. The Medical Brigade provides critical services without the expectation of political alignment. For many Barbadians, Cuban medical assistance has preserved their eyesight through the provision of otherwise expensive surgeries. The Cuban-Caribbean partnership represents a form of South-South cooperation that can be an important harbour during these challenging geopolitical shifts." - Barbados Today
Dominica
Prime Minister of Dominica calls for dialogue with and clarity from the U.S. government regarding the visa threats linked to the Cuban medical assistance. The PM stated, "I do not believe that any current health system in the Caribbean can survive without the support of the medical personnel from Cuba." - Dominica News Online
"The Cuban Healthcare Program is too crucial for survival of the healthcare system and the provision of care and treatment of all Domincans for us to give it up," declared Dominica's Prime Minister. He stated, "If at the end of the day we would not be allowed to come to the United States because we decided to stay, if they tell us to end it, we will not end it." - Dominica News Online
Grenada
“I am personally one of the persons who graduated from Cuba…and as such I have a moral obligation to support the Cubans in every way. So, if it means that the Government of the US have to take away our visas because we support the Cuban initiative, so be it," said Grenada's Minister of Finance, Dennis Cornwall. - The New Today
"Cuba continues to be a trustworthy friend and partner not only of Grenada, not only of the Caribbean but of peoples the world over," said Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Andall. He noted, "Our health infrastructure would collapse without the generous intervention of Cuba and for that we must always take a principled stance." - Grenada Broadcasting Network
Guyana
Stabroek News published an open letter to CARICOM signed by multiple individuals and groups calling on "CARICOM to collectively repudiate the idea that regional governments are involed in human trafficking through Cuban medical mission(s)." - Stabroek News
“We ensure their contracts and their terms of employment are aligned with international and local labour laws and standards. But we also said to the US, if there is any particular information or any specific issue that they wish for us to address, that we’re more than willing to work with them because the US is a very important partner also for Guyana and we work closely together on many issues,” responded Guyana President Irfaan Ali. - Stabroek News
President Ali stated, "I don't see abandoning Cuba as part of the equation...What is clear is that the Cuban health workers are part of the regional health care system." - Guyana Chronicle
Jamaica
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade says the Government is concerned about the United States' recent visa restriction policy targeting officials from countries that engage Cuban healthcare workers and is seeking clarification on the matter. - Gleaner
Jamaica’s Ministers of Health and Foreign Affairs report that they are in talks with the US and Cuba regarding the Cuban medical missions in Jamaica. The Minister of Health says that Jamaica values the work done by the Cuban medical workers. The Foreign Affairs Minister sought to provide assurances regarding "Jamaica’s longstanding Cuban medical cooperation programme in light of concerns expressed in the public domain" and affirmed that Jamaica’s bilateral medical cooperation with Cuba has been in place for more than five decades and remains "a vital pillar of Jamaica’s healthcare system, providing essential services in various public health facilities" - Gleaner
Speaking at the Standing Finance Committee of Parliament, Health and Wellness Minister Tufton, says the government through the foreign affairs ministry is attempting to come to a compromise through negotiations with Cuba and the United States. However, he says contingencies are being worked on through the Philippines, India and Nigeria, that may be expedited to respond to the worst-case scenario. - Nationwide News
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kamina Johnson Smith, says US officials are taking it in good faith that Jamaican authorities are addressing areas of concern with the Cuban medical mission. She reports that "there are one or two things that we have reviewed in the context of our labour practices" and she explained that "we are adjusting the way in which payments are administered and we are looking at the ways in which travel documents are managed." - Nationwide News
Jamaican Prime Minister has defended Jamaica’s use of Cuban medics to support the local health sector, declaring that there is no exploitation in the programme that has surfaced as a blot on the Trump administration’s radar. - Gleaner
The US Secretary of State has pledged to participate in further discussions with the Jamaican Government to better understand its engagement of doctors under the Cuban Medical Cooperation Programme. He has also acknowledged that Jamaica may not be among nations deemed to be exploiting Cuban labour. - Loop News
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines defended the vital role Cuban medical professionals play in the local healthcare system, particularly their contribution to essential services like hemodialysis. “I want to say this publicly. I’m not looking for a fight with anybody, but we have to be honest and open about the hemodialysis, which we do in Saint Vincent at the modern Medical and Diagnostic Centre with these 60 persons without the Cubans there I will not be able to offer that service. So, does anybody expect that because I want to keep a visa, I will let 60 persons from the poor and working people die? It will never happen.” - RJR
Cuba's Ambassador to St. Vincent and the Grenadines stated, "We really reject the idea … that Cuban doctors, Cuban nurses are slaves and that the Cuban government is involved in any trafficking issue with regard to our medical brigades. Because we respect our doctors, our nurses." - Guardian
"...I know we are not involving any exploitation of Cuban workers, and I know that the Cubans are not involved either, the Cuban government. I know the arrangements, and I believe that the Secretary of State is a good and decent man. And if he knows the facts, I’m sure that he will understand that we are not involved in that," said Gonsalves. - St. Vincent Times
The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Cuba Friendship Association issued a press release calling on the US State Department to "reconsider the threats of punitive actions against our officials and to instead look for areas where cooperation in healthcare can be better provided for our peoples." They reported, "The presence of Cuban medical personnel in SVG is both well established and appreciated by the majority of Vincentians. No longer do Vincentians have to resort to fundraisers to acquire monies for travel abroad, these days a simple visit to a nearby polyclinic or to one of our hospitals would suffice for specialized care to be accessed at a fraction of the cost charged abroad." The statement goes on to say, " the new US regime may consider offering scholarships to Vincentians and other CARICOM nations, just as the Republic of Cuba has done since the 1970s. It would put us all on the road toward becoming more self-sustaining in terms of medical professionals. That should not be beyond the reach of the most powerful nation on the planet; one which boasts the most billionaires per capita." - St. Vincent Times
Prime Minister Gonsalves met with a United States delegation to discuss the Cuban Medical Technical Mission. He noted that during the discussions, the delegation expressed surprise at several aspects of the programme, including the fact that Cuban workers receive their salaries directly through bank accounts, and are issued bank cards. - Searchlight
Trinidad and Tobago
Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) political leader David Abdulah issued a statement on March 2 condemning the US for its potential visa revocations targeting government officials, calling it bullying and also urging resistance. “We must all stand up to the US bully and defend our sovereignty! The MSJ cannot remain silent against immoral, illegitimate bullying aimed at regime change in Cuba through unprecedented sanctions on citizens of third countries," said Abdulah. He described the US move as "imperialist bullying," invoking the 200-year-old Monroe Doctrine, which asserts US control over the Americas. Abdulah urged all Caribbean citizens to speak out, “Bullies don’t respect those who whimper.” - Newsday
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has vowed to protect Trinidad and Tobago’s sovereignty, even if it means never returning to the United States. "We rely a lot for our healthcare delivery on certain specialists who, over the decades, we have obtained from India, from the Philippines, sometimes from Africa, and mainly from Cuba. Out of the blue, we are now being called human traffickers because we hire technical people whom we pay top dollar—equal to local rates—but we are now being accused of taking part in a programme where people are being exploited.” He continued, “That’s somebody’s interpretation, and, of course, there are local people here encouraging them to take away our US visas. I just came back from California, and if I never go back there again in my life, I will ensure that the sovereignty of Trinidad and Tobago is known to its people and respected by all,” he said to applause. - Trinidad Express
Local nurses have never got the impression that Cuban medical workers have been exploited or even trafficked says Trinidad and Tobago National Nursing Association President. He said, "When we work alongside them, we work in a spirit of camaraderie, mutual respect, they are very loving of their country, they speak highly of their country, they attend social gatherings regularly, they interact with us." He said all of the medical workers freely return to Cuba after their customary three-year stint is completed. "And they actually look forward to returning to their country!" He said that was partly owing to TT's crime levels, something they were not accustomed to in their homeland. - Newsday
Trinidad and Tobago will continue its engagement of Cuban healthcare professionals and has cleared all concerns raised by the United States government over possible human rights violations within the programme, Prime Minister Stuart Young said. He said T&T had “ticked all the boxes” on the issue, and some 87 Cuban nurses and nine doctors currently working here will continue to do so. - Trinidad Express
Global Responses
The People's Republic of China expressed solidarity with Caribbean countries and Cuba's overseas medical missions. Spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "The false narrative of ‘forced labour’ has become a perfect excuse and hegemonic tool for the U.S. to suppress other countries." She declared that "China opposes coercive diplomacy and urges the US to immediately stop the blockade and sanctions on Cuba in any names and to remove Cuba from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism." - Trinidad and Tobago Guardian
The Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister condemned Rubio's statements in which he called the deplyment of Cuban medical missions "atrocious." He said, "Only the ‘atrocious’ envy and extreme hatred of someone like Marco Rubio could lead him to question a mission of love and solidarity with the entire world." - Trinidad and Tobago Guardian
Al Jazeera published an explainer on the issue. They noted that, "The proposed visa restriction is actually an expansion of a policy initiated by the Biden administration. In 2024, President Biden signed a spending bill that included sanctions against officials from third countries that contracted Cuba’s medical services...The sentiment regarding Cuban medical missions is fairly consistent across party lines." - Al Jazeera
Helen Yaffe wrote an op-ed piece titled, "Cuba Sends Doctors, the US Sends Sanctions." In it she notes, "The United States calls Cuba’s medical internationalism "human trafficking" — but it’s really an internationalist lifeline for the Global South." She explains, "The real objective is to undermine both Cuba’s international prestige and the revenue it receives from exporting medical services. Since 2004, earnings from Cuban medical and professional services exports have been the island’s greatest source of income. Cuba’s ability to conduct “normal” international trade is currently obstructed by the long US blockade" She says, "...Rubio is in prime position to ramp up the belligerent US-Cuba policy first laid out in April 1960 by deputy assistant secretary of state Lester Mallory: to use economic warfare against revolutionary Cuba to bring about 'hunger, desperation and overthrow of government.'” She stated, "...in 2006, the George W. Bush administration launched its Medical Parole Program to induce Cuban medics to abandon missions in return for US citizenship. Barack Obama maintained the program until his final days in office in January 2017. By 2019, Trump renewed the attack, adding Cuba to its Tier 3 list of countries failing to combat “human trafficking” on the basis of its medical internationalism. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) even launched a project to discredit and sabotage Cuban health care programs. In 2024, the US House Committee on Appropriations bill included exposing the “trafficking of doctors from Cuba,” withdrawing aid from “countries participating in this form of modern slavery,” and prohibiting funds to Cuban laboratories. Meanwhile it allocated $30 million for “democracy programs” for Cuba, a misnomer for the regime change that Mallory strategized in 1960." - Jacobin