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Leaders of The Caribbean Community, widely known as CARICOM, have made news recently with their response to issues sparked by the Donald Trump regime and his diplomatic stooge, Secretary of State Marco Rubio. At issue is the U.S. government’s threat to strip visas from Cuban medical personnel, and accusations that Cuba is running an “exploitative labor export program.”
The Caribbean leaders posted this official statement on March 17:
CARICOM ministers defend Cuban medical support, criticise US visa withdrawal
The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, is expected to visit the Caribbean before the end of March to meet with CARICOM governments to discuss among other matters the decision by the Trump Administration to revoke the visas of Caribbean facilitating Cuba’s medical missions to the region and elsewhere. (Background Cuba Briefing 3 March 2025)
The announcement follows a meeting on 9 March in Washington between Caribbean Foreign Ministers and the US Special Envoy for Latin America and the Caribbean, Mauricio Claver-Carone, during which the issue was discussed.
At the meeting, Washington promoted the idea that Cuban medical personnel working overseas should be able to earn and sell their services in a manner that is independent from the Cuban state and have the same workplace rights as most regional workers do under the International Labour Organisation’s multilaterally agreed conventions. It was also stressed that the new US sanctions relating to Cuba applied to nations in many other parts of the world including in Africa, the Gulf, and Europe, that are receiving Cuban medical brigades. The US also sought to have CARICOM governments undertake what were described as fair financial negotiations with Cuba.
Farah Najjar shed light on the issue in an AlJazeera article entitled, “Why are Caribbean leaders fighting Trump to keep Cuban doctors?”:
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.
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”.
Emma Louis at Global Voices wrote “Caribbean leaders and citizens fiercely defend the Cuban Medical Cooperation Programme”:
As far as the Caribbean is concerned, medical assistance from Cuba — which got underway in the mid-1970s when Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Barbados and others established diplomatic relations with the country — has been critical in helping to save lives. An editorial in The Jamaica Gleaner pointed out that Cuba has a higher-than-average proportion of trained medical personnel than either the United States or Jamaica, the latter being woefully short of nurses in particular:
“Marco Rubio’s plan to sanction countries for using Cuban doctors and nurses in their health systems is nothing short of callous, cruel and vindictive.
If Mr Rubio possesses a scintilla of decency, he should immediately rescind the policy, whose hurt will be felt not only by Cuba, but by poor people in Africa, Asia and the Americas, including several Caribbean countries, Jamaica among them. It will cost lives, and, possibly, the unintended consequence of adding to the factors that drive illegal migrants from their home countries to the United States. Which is something the Trump administration is vehemently against.”
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves did not mince words in his response to the U.S. and his defense of Cuban doctors.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves stands firm on Cuba’s medical missions saying 60 poor and working people on hemodialysis could die if Saint Vincent and the Grenadines were to cut the program.
The Guardian’s Caribbean correspondent Natricia Duncan wrote, “Caribbean leaders deny Cuban health workers are victims of ‘forced labor’”:
The prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) said his government has provided evidence to the US that Cuban health workers in the country are not victims of human trafficking, as the Trump administration takes aim at the medical missions.
Speaking in advance of US secretary of state Marco Rubio’s visit to the Caribbean on Wednesday, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said he was confident that the information he provided would settle US concerns about the deal under which Cuban medical professionals work in SVG.
Rubio, who is the child of Cuban immigrants, announced in February the expansion of an existing policy to target “forced labor” and “abusive and coercive labor practices”, which he claimed were part of Cuba’s overseas medical missions.
But Caribbean leaders have consistently rejected the claims of human trafficking and stressed the important role the Cuban medical professionals play in saving lives in the region.
I follow Caribbean VLogger @Carib21 Network and it was interesting to hear his take:
The Global Debate Channel posted this news report titled, “Caribbean Leaders REFUSE U.S. Pressure: Choosing Cuban Doctors Over Visas—We Stand With Cuba!»
Caribbean nations are making a powerful stand against U.S. pressure as they choose Cuban doctors over U.S. visa policies. With tensions rising, these countries are prioritizing healthcare over diplomatic ties. But what does this mean for the region’s future? 🤔In this video, we break down the bold decision by Caribbean leaders to stand with Cuba and its medical support. From defying U.S. pressure to improving healthcare systems, we’ll dive into how this move could reshape the Caribbean’s political and economic landscape. Could this decision change the future of Caribbean-U.S. relationsWhy Caribbean nations are prioritizing Cuban doctors over U.S. visas.The growing influence of Cuba in the Caribbean healthcare sector.The impact of this decision on Caribbean-U.S. relations and future diplomatic ties.How this bold move could affect the region’s medical infrastructure and international partnerships.🚨
What’s at stake? The Caribbean is caught between two global powers—Cuba and the U.S. This critical decision by Caribbean nations could dramatically shift their future. Will this defiance set the stage for greater independence from U.S. influence? This video covers everything you need to know about how this move could reshape the Caribbean’s diplomatic future
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley weighed in with a statement on the Cuban medical staff:
This matter, with the Cubans and the nurses, should tell us everything that we need to know. Barbados does not currently have Cuban medical staff or Cuban nurses, but I will be the first to go to the line and to tell you that we could not get through the pandemic without the Cuban nurses and the Cuban doctors. I will also be the first to tell you that we paid them the same thing that we pay Bajans, and that the notion, as was peddled not just by this government in the U.S., but the previous government, that we were involved in human trafficking by engaging with the Cuban nurses was fully repudiated and rejected by us. Now, I don’t believe that we have to shout across the seas, but I am prepared, like others in this region, that if we cannot reach a sensible agreement on this matter, then if the cost of it is the loss of my visa, to the U.S., then so be it.But what matters to us is principles. And I have said over and over that principles only mean something when it is inconvenient to stand by it. Now we don’t have to shout, but we can be resolute. And I therefore look forward to standing with my CARICOM brothers, I wish I could say brothers and sisters, but brothers, to be able to ensure that we explain that what the Cubans have been able to do for us, far from approximating itself to human trafficking, has been to save lives and limbs and sight for many a Caribbean person.
The other key Trump regime issue affecting the Caribbean is his travel ban.
The Miami Herald’s Caribbean reporter Jacqueline Charles reported “Caribbean leaders push back on U.S. travel-ban threats, ask Washington for clarity”:
The leaders of several Caribbean governments being targeted under a proposed U.S. travel ban say they have received no formal notifications from the Trump administration that their nation is among dozens of countries whose nationals could be shut out of the United States. The Miami Herald was first to confirm that along with Cuba and Venezuela, which would be hit with an absolute ban on their nationals entering the U.S., Haiti and some other Caribbean countries would also face restrictions on their nationals traveling to the U.S. The following day, the New York Times named 43 countries under consideration, and which of the three tiers each would fall under in the plan being crafted by Trump adviser Stephen Mill
The proposal would severely restrict access to the United States, including for high-ranking government officials, and has caught many Caribbean nationals by surprise. It is creating consternation not just from a policy standpoint, but among people who have children and other relatives living in the U.S. and would be unable to travel here even if they have a valid visa. The proposal comes amid continued push-back from Caribbean leaders over U.S. visa cancellation threats over their governments’ employment of Cuban doctors. Last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the State Department is taking steps to cancel the visas of anyone participating in Cuba’s medical missions, which deploy nurses and doctors to countries around the world, including in the Caribbean. “There’s nothing we’re not afraid to answer to. We have been very transparent. We engage governments in transparency. People know us. What we say in the night, is what we say in the day; our word is our bond,” Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said Monday during a press conference when asked about reports that his tiny nation is among the four Eastern Caribbean countries targeted for a ban. “We are prepared to engage everyone, including the United States, in this matter. So whatever concerns the United States may have, which I do not know of yet, we are prepared to respond.”
Under the proposal, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Lucia would be on the third tier of the proposed travel ban, and would have 60 days to address officials’ concerns in order to have access to the U.S. restored. Haiti is on the second tier; its nationals would face slightly less harsh restrictions than those on the first tier, which includes Cuba. Haitians wanting to travel would need to request a waiver to the ban.
Keka Araújo at Black Enterprise posted “Caribbean Outrage Erupts As Trump’s U.S. Travel Ban Threatens Families And Diplomacy”:
Caribbean leaders denounced a proposed U.S. travel ban that could block entry for nationals from several nations, including high-ranking officials. The policy, reportedly crafted by Trump adviser Stephen Miller, has sparked outrage across the region, with leaders accusing the administration of unilateral action and sowing unnecessary chaos.
The three-tiered travel ban targets 43 nations, including Haiti, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Lucia. Some countries face outright restrictions, while others, like Haiti, would require waivers for their citizens to enter the United States.
[…]
The proposed ban also threatens Citizenship by Investment Programs (CBIPs) operated by some Caribbean nations. These programs allow foreign nationals to purchase citizenship for financial investment, granting them visa-free access to numerous countries.
Critics, including U.S. officials, have raised concerns about the lack of transparency in these programs, and their diplomatic notes to the U.S. State Department, Antigua and Barbuda and St. Kitts and Nevis emphasized their rigorous vetting procedures.
Antigua’s Prime Minister, Gaston Browne, stated, “All applications are rigorously vetted by recognized international agencies, including INTERPOL, to ensure that no applicants with a criminal background or current charges—including terrorism—are considered.”
Let us not forget the impact of the Trump administration decimating USAID, covered in this Caribbean Focus report:
The Trump administration’s shocking 90-day freeze on foreign aid has sent shockwaves across the Caribbean, threatening to dismantle critical programs that keep millions safe, stable, and secure. Billions of dollars in U.S. funding are now on hold, putting Jamaica’s anti-violence programs, Haiti’s fight against gang rule, and The Bahamas’ climate resilience efforts at risk.This decision could destabilize entire nations, cripple economies, and even open the door for geopolitical rivals like China to expand their influence in the region. From security threats and economic turmoil to legal battles and political backlash, this funding freeze could have dire consequences for the Caribbean—and for U.S. interests.What happens next? Will Caribbean nations survive without U.S. support, or is this the beginning of a new power shift in the region? Stick around as we break down the real impact of this sudden decision, from the Eastern Caribbean to Guyana, Suriname, and beyond.
While much of our daily news coverage here in the U.S. is focused on other parts of the globe, we cannot afford to look away or ignore our country’s negative impact on our Caribbean neighbors. Join me in the comments section below for more and for the weekly Caribbean news roundup.
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