Havana/Following the steps of Guatemalathe Governments of Guyana and that of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have announced that they will stop hiring Cuban health personnel through state agreements.
Guyana’s Minister of Health, Frank Anthony, confirmed in interview with Kaieteur News that the bilateral agreement signed with Cuba since 2023 is no longer “necessary.” “We have Cuban doctors who are now coming to Guyana independently, so we employ them, so there is no need for the agreement,” he declared.
Furthermore, the minister denied that the decision responded to pressure from Washington and assured that they simply abide by their labor laws, which coincide with international expectations. He added that any Cuban professional who meets the requirements may be hired under the same conditions as a Guyanese doctor: “This country has labor laws that allow people to be employed and receive their salaries. We cannot violate any regulations in force in our country,” he stressed in the interview.
Any Cuban professional who meets the requirements may be hired under the same conditions as a Guyanese doctor.
In turn, the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines announced a three-year transition plan to progressively replace Cuban doctors and strengthen the hiring of national personnel. according to St. Vincent Times. Prime Minister Godwin Friday justified the measure due to language barriers and the costs associated with maintaining foreign personnel.
These decisions come after explicit warnings from the United States to Caribbean countries about possible visa restrictions and trade repercussions if they continue to participate in medical agreements with Cuba, described by Washington as “human trafficking.” In a recent statementthe US Embassy in Barbados urged governments in the region to reject these programs and opt for ethical contracting mechanisms: “By participating in these programs, despite known human rights abuses, foreign governments become complicit in the regime’s tactics.”
Last June, the Bahamas government finally gave in to pressure and canceled medical contracts with Havana, promising direct contracts with specialists. Just a few days ago, Guatemala confirmed to the EFE agency that it will not renew the agreement begun with Cuba in 1998 after Hurricane Mitch, valid until 2027.
The Government of the Bahamas finally gave in to pressure and canceled medical contracts with Havana, promising direct contracts with specialists.
This measure has generated internal criticism in the Central American country. According to local independent organizations, Guatemala’s Ministry of Health operates with one of the lowest budgets in the region and does not have sufficient health personnel or infrastructure to serve the country’s 18 million inhabitants. The Government of Bernardo Arévalo de León told EFE that “to ensure care for the population, a phased replacement plan will be implemented that includes hiring national personnel.”
The decisions of these countries add to the recent communication from Antigua and Barbuda in which the end of its health agreements with Cuba is announced, the cancellation by Paraguay of its bilateral agreement with the Cuban Government and the statement from the Government of the Bahamas of its intention to get rid of Cuban state intermediation and hire medical professionals directly. Meanwhile, Honduras remains under scrutiny, after questions from the UN over the accommodation conditions of the Cuban brigades.
The export of Cuban medical services has received criticism from both international organizations and the Cuban personnel involved. These exchanges constitute the main source of foreign currency of the Cuban State, reaching income of almost 5,000 million dollars annually, higher than those of the tourism sector. However, doctors receive a minimal fraction of what local governments pay the Cuban State for them, a salary much lower than what they would earn if they were hired directly. Likewise, Cuban doctors have denounced their working conditions, pointing out risks to their safety, movement limitations, censorship and salary impacts.
