Caribbean leaders have hit back at a threat issued by the United States government to cancel visas for anyone working with or supporting Cuban medical facilities, citing allegations of forced labour and claiming these missions “enrich the Cuban regime”.
Cuban medical missions, which provide doctors, nurses and other medical staff as well as medical facilities, are critical to healthcare systems in the Caribbean.
So how have Caribbean nations responded to this threat and what would it mean for healthcare there?
Why is the US government taking aim at Cuba’s medical programme?
The targeting of Cuban medical missions is not new for US President Donald Trump’s administration. During his first term as president of the US from 2017 to 2021, his administration imposed visa sanctions on Cuba’s global medical programme. His government claimed these missions amounted to “human trafficking” because, it said, Cuban doctors are reportedly underpaid.
This time around, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced restrictions on visas for government officials in Cuba and anyone else, globally, that the US deems to be “complicit” with Cuba’s foreign medical programmes. The State Department said the restrictions would extend to “current and former officials” as well as the “immediate family of such persons”.
Rubio called the Cuban medical programme a form of “forced labour” and the government has warned that Caribbean nations participating in these programmes could face visa restrictions as well as potential trade repercussions.
However, no concrete evidence has been provided to support these claims.
The United States is expanding its Cuba-related visa restriction policy. @StateDept has taken steps to restrict visa issuance to Cuban and complicit third-country government officials and individuals responsible for Cuba’s exploitative labor export program. We will promote…
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) February 25, 2025
The US alleges that Cuba’s government exploits its medical professionals by keeping a large portion of their wages and restricting their freedoms. While some Cuban doctors have defected and criticised the conditions of the programme, many others say they willingly participate.
Tamarys Bahamonde, an economist at the US-based Center for Latin American and Latino Studies, said this issue is “complex” and should centre the voices of the doctors themselves.
“Regardless of whether Cuban doctors qualify as forced labour, we do know that they do not negotiate their own contracts or working conditions,” she said.
“Cuba retains a significant portion of their salaries, and there are testimonies from doctors confirming restrictions on movement, confiscation of passports by Cuban authorities in host countries, and limitations on bringing their families along.”
At the same time, Bahamonde reiterated the crucial role that Cuban medical professionals play, especially when it comes to providing healthcare services to underserved communities.
“During my time working for a foreign embassy in Havana, I saw firsthand how grateful many countries are for Cuban doctors and the benefits they bring to isolated areas – places that previously had little to no medical access,” she said.
Can Trump’s administration legally do this?
Legally, Trump has broad authority over visa policy through the State Department. The US government can impose restrictions without needing approval from Congress by citing national security or foreign policy concerns.
Affected nations can push back through diplomatic or legal channels, but Bahamonde pointed out that the US targeting of Cuban medical missions is not exclusive to the Trump administration.
“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,” Bahamonde told Al Jazeera.
“That same year, his administration also accused Cuba of profiting from its medical professionals.”
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