The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

UNITED States Secretary of State Marco Rubio renewed his criticism of Cuba’s overseas medical missions during a visit to Jamaica yesterday.

During a joint press conference in Kingston with Jamaica’s prime minister, Mr Rubio said: “How it’s operated around the world is that basically the doctors are not paid. In many other parts of the world, the doctors are not paid. The doctor — you pay the Cuban government. The Cuban government decides how much of anything to give them. They take away their passports. They basically operate as forced labour in many places.”

The remarks came amid US pressure on countries that engage Cuban professionals under state-to-state agreements, with Mr Rubio warning that the Cuban regime’s practices “place these people in tremendous danger.”

Although Mr Rubio said the allegations may not apply to doctors working in Jamaica, his broader comments revive a debate already unfolding in throughout the region, where Cuban medical professionals continue to fill critical roles in the public health system.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis admitted that a portion of the salaries paid to Cuban doctors by the Bahamian government is sent to an agency in Cuba. He said he did not know whether that portion ultimately goes to the Cuban government.

He defended the arrangement but said the matter is under review following new US policies that could impose visa restrictions on foreign officials involved in Cuba’s labour export programme.

Under International Labour Organisation standards, workers are expected to be paid directly and have full control over their earnings. Reports from other countries suggest that Cuban authorities withhold up to 90 percent of their overseas workers’ salaries — a central point in Washington’s forced labour accusations.

US officials have also raised concerns about the freedom of movement of Cuban workers, citing reports from some countries that passports are confiscated.

The Bahamas has not been accused of violating any laws. US Chargé d’Affaires Kimberly Furnish recently confirmed that while the US has concerns about Cuba’s labour practices, there is no evidence of wrongdoing in The Bahamas.

Mr Davis has said Cuban workers are vetted by Bahamian officials before being hired.

“Before we engaged anyone from Cuba, we sent a team of professionals, sometimes numbering up to 12, to interview persons who would like to fill the needs that we had,” he said recently.

Minister of Health Dr Michael Darville has also defended the Cuban partnership, saying the professionals remain vital to the healthcare system, especially in specialist areas with limited local staffing.

Nonetheless, Human Rights Bahamas has called on the government to explain how Cuban workers are compensated and whether their rights are being upheld.

“HRB encourages the government to fully and clearly explain its position on this matter so that the reputation of The Bahamas is preserved and not subjected to any misinformation or mischaracterisation on the international stage,” the organisation said in a recent statement.

Mr Rubio, meanwhile, made clear that the US views the Cuban medical mission programme as a political tool by Havana.

“It’s not that they’re Cuban doctors. It’s that the regime does not pay these doctors, takes away their passports, and basically, it is in many ways forced labor. And that we cannot be in support of,” he said.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, responding at the same press conference, defended his country’s sovereign right to engage international partners in its national interest. Without naming Cuba, he said foreign personnel working in Jamaica are protected by domestic labour laws and are treated fairly.

Caribbean leaders have historically defended Cuban cooperation as a matter of necessity rather than ideology, particularly in sectors such as health and education where skilled professionals are in short supply.

The Bahamas maintains a Tier 1 ranking in the US State Department’s 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report, indicating it meets the highest international standards in preventing and responding to human trafficking. Still, the US has urged Bahamian authorities to pay close attention to the treatment and compensation of Cuban workers in government programmes.

Bahamas Union of Teachers President Belinda Wilson recently said the country employs 130 Cuban teachers, noting that they often receive the same or even better benefits than their Bahamian counterparts.

“My experience is that the Cuban teachers who are recruited enjoy the same benefits as Bahamian teachers and other educators,” she said. “In fact, in some instances, more benefits, such as a gratuity payment at the end of their contracts.”

It remains unclear how many Cuban medical professionals currently work in The Bahamas.