The Trump administration accuses Cuban medical missions of ‘coercion and labor abuses.’

On Monday, Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre revealed that the United States has pressured his country to prohibit its citizens from studying medicine in Cuba.

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At the World Congress on Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health, he stated that most doctors in his country were trained in Cuba and that this measure exacerbates an already “overburdened” healthcare system.

Pierre noted that this is a serious problem and urged looking for solutions. Cuban medical missions, through which Havana sends healthcare personnel to dozens of countries, are a source of tension with Washington, which accuses them of “coercion and labor abuses.”

Due to U.S. pressure, Antigua and Barbuda recruited 120 nurses from Ghana to replace Cuban professionals in January, while the Bahamas suspended recruitment and canceled contracts with Cuban employment agencies.

The text reads, “At the Pedro Medina Fuguett Comprehensive Diagnostic Center (CDI), our Physiatry specialist provides high-quality care with the commitment of the Cuban Medical Brigade, restoring well-being and joy to our Venezuelan brothers and sisters.”

Initially, members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), such as Saint Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, and the Bahamas, defended Cuban medical missions as vital to their healthcare systems.

However, pressure from Washington has forced several countries to capitulate, which weakens regional medical cooperation and creates uncertainty in the training of new professionals.

On February 25, 2025, the U.S. announced the expansion of visa restrictions against those who profit from the “labor exploitation” of Cuban workers abroad. The State Department indicated that the policy applies to current or former officials of foreign governments involved in Cuban medical mission programs.

teleSUR: JP

Source: EFE

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