Cuba ends medical brigade programme in Guyana after nearly 5 decades

The Guyana government said Monday that Cuba has withdrawn its long-standing medical brigade programme from Guyana, ending an arrangement that had lasted for more than 48 years.

Health Minister Frank Anthony said the decision to terminate the programme was taken by Havana in February 2026 while talks between the two countries were ongoing.

“We have been engaging the Cuban authorities and they chose to terminate or withdraw the Cuban doctors who were here,” Anthony said in an interview with the online publication News Source.

The minister said that following the decision, the Guyanese government opted to hire Cuban medical personnel directly to continue supporting the country’s public health system.

“Cuban doctors, nurses and technicians, if they want to come to Guyana, they can come to Guyana and once they are properly qualified and certified by our medical authorities here — medical council, nursing council and so forth — once they meet those requirements, then we will be able to offer them a job,” Anthony said.

He added that several Cuban medical professionals have already accepted employment under the new arrangement, including some who were previously part of the brigade and chose to remain in the country.

However, Anthony said he was unable to provide the exact number of Cuban medical personnel currently employed directly by the government.

The health minister also dismissed concerns that the withdrawal of the brigade would negatively affect Guyana’s healthcare services. He said the government has been expanding local training programmes for nurses and other healthcare professionals as part of a broader effort to strengthen the health system.

“As you know, we have been expanding our healthcare system and we have also started to expand training,” Anthony said.

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He noted that the government launched a registered nursing programme three years ago and expects to graduate nearly 800 nurses by June this year.

Anthony’s comments come days after a small group of citizens wrote to President Irfaan Ali urging the government to reverse the decision and restore the Cuban Medical Brigade.

The development has also fueled speculation that Guyana may have ended the programme under pressure from the United States, which has increased criticism of Cuba’s overseas medical missions.

Washington has alleged that the programme, which has provided medical personnel to several Caribbean and developing countries, relies on coercive labour practices. U.S. officials have claimed that Cuban medical workers face withheld wages, confiscated passports, restrictions on movement and pressure from authorities while serving abroad.

The United States has also argued that the programme allows the Cuban government to profit from the work of its medical professionals by retaining a significant portion of their earnings.

In 2025, Washington threatened to restrict or revoke visas for some officials in African, Caribbean and Brazilian countries it said were linked to the Cuban medical programme.

Guyana and Cuba have maintained close diplomatic ties for decades. In 2021, more than 60 Cuban doctors travelled to Guyana to assist with the treatment of patients during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cuba has also played a key role in training Guyanese doctors and other healthcare professionals over the years.