WPA slams govt’s timid stance on Trump’s Cuban doctor policy

Mar 18, 2025 News

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—accuses administration of putting political survival over national consideration

Kaieteur News- The Working Peoples Alliance (WPA) has added its voice in opposition to the attempt by the US government to punish Caribbean countries for their continued acceptance of Cuban healthcare workers to work in the region, saying that the Caribbean should not become a pawn in the US-Cuban ongoing impasse. The party said Cuba is a sister Caribbean country whose assistance to the region has been immeasurable.

On February 25, 2025, the United States Department of State, through its Secretary of State Marco Rubio, announced that there will be an expansion of the visa restriction policy for persons exploiting Cuban labour. “Today, we announce the expansion of an existing Cuba-related visa restriction policy that targets labor linked to the Cuban labour export program. This expanded policy applies to current or former Cuban government officials, and other individuals, including foreign government officials, who are believed to be responsible for, or involved in, the Cuban labor export program, particularly Cuba’s overseas medical missions. This policy also applies to the immediate family of such persons. The Department has already taken steps to impose visa restrictions on several individuals, including Venezuelans, under this expanded policy,” Rubio said. Further, the Secretary of State said that Cuba profits from the “forced labor of its workers and the regime’s abusive and coercive labor practices are well documented.”

“Cuba’s labor export programs, which include the medical missions, enrich the Cuban regime, and in the case of Cuba’s overseas medical missions, deprive ordinary Cubans of the medical care they desperately need in their home country. The United States is committed to countering forced labor practices around the globe. To do so, we must promote accountability not just for Cuban officials responsible for these policies, but also those complicit in the exploitation and forced labor of Cuban workers.”

However, the WPA said the Caribbean-Cuban relationship goes beyond ideology. “If the Cuban workers were to be expelled, it would severely hamper the healthcare system in some countries, including Guyana. WPA, therefore, supports the CARICOM initiative to bring an amicable settlement to this burning issue. We feel a strong regional case could be made to the US authorities,” the party said in a press release on Monday. “We commend the principled stance taken by the Prime Ministers of Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and St Vincent and the Grenadines. But WPA is appalled at the unprincipled position adopted by the Guyana government. More than any Caribbean party, the PPP should be more forthright on this matter. The party and government’s penchant for putting their internal political survival over national consideration is plain for all to see on this matter. No government representing the broad national sentiments of its country would behave in such a shameful manner. It is nothing short of political opportunism,” the WPA lamented.

President Irfaan Ali on Saturday told reporters that his government has since written to the Trump administration about its policy on the hiring of Cuban medical professionals, enquiring whether there are specific issues the United States of America wants to be addressed.  He was asked by the media to state his government’s position on the U.S.’ threats to sanction governments, officials and their families should they hire persons through the Cuba labour export programme.

The President made it clear that every country has its own policy on matters, adding, “We have already responded to the U.S. through our official channels. That is, whatever workers we have here, whether it’s from Cuba, India… you know we have health care workers from all over, from Africa, from India, from Cuba…that they fall under the same labour laws, local labour laws and international labour laws.”

Further, the Guyanese leader emphasized that his government has asked the U.S. to identify specific issues they would like addressed and efforts will be made to do so collaboratively. “…because the U.S., as you know, is a very important partner also for Guyana and we work closely together on many issues,” President Ali told reporters. The Head of State said while he has not seen the contract for the Cuban Medical Brigade to know when it expires, all the persons working in Guyana are subject to local and international laws. He said too that the U.S. has been assured of this and the benefits the health workers receive. The government is yet to receive a response from the U.S., the President disclosed.

Asked whether the civil approach taken by Guyana was taken by other Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), he replied, “I can’t speak for the other Caribbean governments. I know when the policy was announced in its entirety by Secretary Rubio, we were at heads’ meetings. And this was one of the subjects that heads would have requested a meeting on with the U.S. State Department.”

IN addition to the WPA, the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) has also criticised the government’s stance on the issue, saying that oil giant ExxonMobil’s de facto ownership of Guyana’s oil is restricting this country’s ability to stand up for itself on the matter of US’ Cuba policy. “More recently, the Trump administration’s   bullying tactic has extended to English-speaking Caribbean countries being ‘ordered’ to deport Cuban medical personnel who for decades have constituted the backbone of medical services in these territories,” the association said. The statement highlighted that Guyana has not only benefitted from medical volunteers but majority of Guyana’s medical practitioners have been educated in Cuba. The GHRA noted that, Trinidad, Barbados and St. Vincent political leaders have acknowledged their debt to Cuba and made it clear to the US that they will not be deporting any Cuban medical personnel.  Ms. Mia Mottley, the Bajan Prime Minister stated she was prepared to risk restrictions on her right to travel to the US in retaliation for resisting the dictates of that country. Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, PM of St. Vincent noted 60 of his nationals would die within a week if deprived of the medical dialysis attention provided by the Cuban doctors.”

The association is of the belief that Guyana is facing a greater risk than other Caribbean territories of offending the US in light of the importance of their support over the threat of invasion from Venezuela. The GHRA said to ensure continued peace for Guyana and the rest of the world ways need to be found to ensure that “principled politics can be protected and flourish in the domestic realm. The alternative, namely, going along with disreputable solutions is to join a game which the current US administration is far better placed to win,” the statement further said.

(WPA slams govt’s timid stance on Trump’s Cuban doctor policy)

(WPA slams govt’s timid stance)

 

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• administration, Cuban doctor policy, United States Department of State, visa restriction policy, WPA

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