The Ministry of Public Health (Minsap) of Cuba reported this Sunday that the arrival of return flights for Cuban doctors who were providing services in Venezuelaafter months of interruptions caused by difficulties in air transportation and the temporary closure of Venezuelan airspace.
The resumption of these operations has allowed health personnel on mission in the South American country to begin returning to the Island, explained the official note published by Cuban Newspaper.
According to the statement, during the last months of 2025 the mobility of these health professionals was affected by logistical complications and international flight restrictions imposed amid the political crisis and the reorganization of air transport in Venezuela.
The accumulation of doctors who had already completed their work period or were close to their vacation generated a situation of pressure on the return system.
The Minsap note indicates that Starting this week, an organized flow of departures has begunwith flights that take off regularly to Cuba so that health specialists can return to their country of origin. Nevertheless, The exact number of doctors who will return this way was not detailed..
Impact of the change of power in Venezuela
The return of the Cuban doctors occurs in a context of political transformation in Venezuela after the capture, on January 3, 2026, of Nicolás Maduro during a military operation carried out by the United States in Caracas.
Since then, de facto power in the country was assumed by the interim president Delcy Rodríguez, who has initiated the reconfiguration of international alliances of the government.
Medical cooperation between Cuba and Venezuela, known as the “doctors for oil”has been a pillar of the bilateral relationship for years, where thousands of Cuban professionals provided health services in Venezuelan hospitals and clinics in exchange for crude oil supplies.
This agreement came to involve the sending of 53,000 barrels per day to Cuba to cover almost a third of the Island’s energy needs, although shipments became irregular in recent years, with an average of 24,000 barrels per day.
The eventual reduction in medical service contracts and oil shipments could have serious repercussions on the Cuban economywhich depends largely on the income generated by the export of professional services.
Analysts warn that a lower arrival of foreign currency could aggravate structural problems on the Island, such as electricity outages, drop in public transport and pressure on agroindustrial productionwhich already face limitations.
The return of Cuban doctors from Venezuela marks another chapter in the reconfiguration of relations between Havana and Caracas, at a time when the Venezuelan political transition advances amid uncertainties and diplomatic adjustments, while the impact of these changes is felt beyond the borders.
