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Marco Rubio - THE US State Department has imposed visa restrictions on African, Cuban and Grenadian government officials and their family members.
In a statement on August 13, the State Department said this decision was due to their "complicity in the Cuban regime’s medical mission scheme in which medical professionals are ‘rented’ by other countries at high prices and most of the revenue is kept by the Cuban authorities."
The scheme, the State Department continued, enriches the corrupt Cuban regime while depriving the Cuban people of essential medical care.
"The US continues to engage governments, and will take action as needed, to bring an end to such forced labour. We urge governments to pay the doctors directly for their services, not the regime slave masters."
The State Department said the US aims to support the Cuban people in their pursuit of freedom and dignity and promote accountability for those who perpetuate their exploitation.
"We call on all nations that support democracy and human rights to join us in this effort to confront the Cuban regime’s abuses and stand with the Cuban people."
A similar decision was taken by the State Department against Brazilian government officials and their family members.
In March, US President Donald Trump threatened to revoke the visas of Caribbean government officials involved with the programme.
At that time, Grenada's Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Andall and Grenada's Finance Minister Dennis Cornwall praised the contributions made to the country's health sector by Cuban medical professionals.
Cornwall said, "I always believe you have to put the people above one’s political self..."
He added the Grenadian government had already decided that it was prepared to go to the extreme to keep Grenadians safe.
"So, if it means that we have to give up our visa rights to the US to make sure that Grenada stands behind Cuba as one of the countries that support Grenada in thick and thin, so be it.”
In March, then prime minister Dr Keith Rowley defended TT's use of Cuban doctors.
At a commissioning ceremony for the new Port of Spain General Hospital's central block, Rowley rejected the view that Cuban medical professionals in TT were being exploited.
"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,”
Then opposition leader (now Prime Minister) Kamla Persad-Bissessar believed priorities should be given to local medical personnel.
"We have hundreds of local doctors, nurses, and medical technicians who are unemployed, and hundreds more on short-term contracts. We should be putting our people first. Our first priority should be creating jobs for local medical personnel because we spend billions in subventions, GATE, and scholarships to educate them.”
At a joint news conference with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Office of the Prime Minister, Kingston, Jamaica on March 26, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said Cuban medical professionals were not being exploited in Jamaica.
"The Cuban doctors in Jamaica have been incredibly helpful to us. Jamaica has a deficit in health personnel, primarily because many of our health personnel have migrated to other countries."
Jamaica, Holness continued, is very careful not to exploit the Cuban doctors who are here.
"We ensure that they are treated within our labour laws and benefit like any other worker. So any characterisation of the programme by others certainly would not be applicable to Jamaica."
He said, "We are ensuring that our programme complies with all the international laws and standards to which we are a party to.
Commenting on the issue at the time, Rubio said it was important to separate the medical from the labour issues that are being referred to.
"This is not about doctors. This is not about the provision of medical assistance. We have no problem with medical assistance and we don’t have a problem with doctors."
Rubio said the US was not speaking specifically about Jamaica or any other country but "about this programme in general, how it’s operated around the world."
He added the programme involved paying the Cuban government and not the doctor.
"The Cuban government decides how much, if anything, to give them; they take away their passports; they basically operate as forced labour in many places"
Rubio acknowledged some places have better labour standards than others.
English (US) ·