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Govt. confirms end to Cuba medical pact
…denies being pressured by US, says Cubans coming on their own
(Kaieteur News) – Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony has confirmed that Guyana has formally ended its bilateral medical cooperation agreement with Cuba, saying the arrangement is no longer necessary as Cuban doctors are now coming to Guyana independently to seek employment.
The minister made the disclosure during a brief interview with Kaieteur News on Monday. The quiet termination of the agreement has sparked speculation that the move was linked to allegations by the United States government regarding the alleged exploitation of Cuban medical workers. The US government had warned Caribbean nations participating in Cuban medical programmes that such arrangements may amount to human trafficking and could result in visa restrictions and possible trade repercussions. However, Minister Anthony denied that the decision was influenced by U.S. pressure, stating that there was no specific reason for ending the agreement. Instead, he explained that Cuban medical professionals are now entering Guyana on their own and applying for jobs outside of any formal government-to-government programme.
The Medical Cooperation Agreement signed in 2023 by Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony and Cuba’s Ambassador to Guyana, Jorge Francisco Soberón Luis.
“There is no reason. We have Cuban doctors that are coming to Guyana now they come independently, so we employ them, so there’s no need for the agreement,” Dr Anthony said. “Right now, what we’re doing is that any doctor or nurse from Cuba who want to work in Guyana. Once they have their qualifications and they come here, we’re able to employ them, and they have the same terms and conditions like any Guyanese doctor,” he added.
The minister added that Guyana is simply complying with its own labour laws, which he said align with international expectations, including those expressed by the United States. “This country has labour laws, and those laws allow people to be employed and receive their salaries. We can’t break any rules that we have in our country. So we have been following those rules which are consistent with what the US government has been asking,” he said.
The United States has maintained its position on holding officials accountable for facilitating what it describes as forced labour in Cuba’s overseas medical missions. In a statement issued on Friday, the U.S. Embassy to Barbados called on governments and citizens to reject what it termed forced labour, particularly within Cuban medical programmes. “By participating in these programmes, despite known human rights abuses, foreign governments become complicit in the regime’s tactics,” the statement said.
“There are alternative methods available for Caribbean nations to recruit foreign medical workers and ethically meet the healthcare needs of their people. The United States calls on all governments and peoples to reject forced labour schemes and join us in demanding accountability and respect for human rights,” The US embassy to Barbados added.
In 2023, Guyana and Cuba had signed a new Medical Cooperation Agreement at the Ministry of Health, aimed at strengthening bilateral medical collaboration. The agreement was signed by Minister Anthony and Cuba’s Ambassador to Guyana, Jorge Francisco Soberón Luis. However, under U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, Cuban medical missions have come under renewed scrutiny. During Trump’s first term (2017–2021), visa sanctions were imposed on Cuba’s global medical programme, which the U.S. government described as exploitative due to claims that Cuban doctors are underpaid and have limited freedoms.
In 2025, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced further visa restrictions targeting Cuban government officials and others globally deemed “complicit” in Cuba’s foreign medical programmes. The restrictions extend to current and former officials, as well as their immediate family members. Rubio called the Cuban medical programme a form of “forced labour” and the government has warned that Caribbean nations participating in these programmes could face visa restrictions as well as potential trade repercussions. The US alleges that Cuba’s government exploits its medical professionals by keeping a large portion of their wages and restricting their freedoms.
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THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Sir. Ronald Sanders
The GHK Lall Column
Weekend Cartoon
The Long Arm of the US reaches out continuing the strangulation of CUBA
and the decades long Sanction in 1962.
It has nothing to do with HUMAN TRAFFICKING-that’s just an excuse.
5-6 new hospitals under construction still struggle to find human resources
to operate fully- 24/7, not just the Emergency-Accident Service.
So, bringing medical personnel from other countries-is that also not Trafficking
In Person ? I cannot say enough of Marco Rubio- he never wants to help
Cuba, from where his ancestors came.