Kingston (TDI): Jamaica has announced it will end a long-standing agreement with Cuba that brought hundreds of Cuban medical professionals to the Caribbean nation, a move that comes amid mounting pressure from the United States.
On Thursday, Jamaica’s foreign ministry said that the decades-old arrangement involving Cuban medical missions would not be renewed after both governments failed to reach agreement on new terms for a technical cooperation pact.
The previous agreement had already expired in February 2023, and negotiations over a replacement arrangement were unsuccessful.
The decision marks a significant shift for Jamaica’s healthcare system, which has relied heavily on Cuban medical personnel for years.
As recently as last year, officials noted that more than 400 Cuban doctors, nurses, biomedical engineers, and technicians were working across the country, filling critical gaps in public health services.
In a statement, Jamaica’s government said it remains open to hiring Cuban healthcare professionals on an individual basis, provided that any employment arrangements comply fully with Jamaica’s labor laws.
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The move comes as the United States intensifies criticism of Cuba’s global medical mission program. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described the initiative as a form of “forced labor” and human trafficking, arguing that the Cuban government retains a large portion of the salaries paid to doctors working abroad.
Cuba strongly denies those allegations, saying the program is voluntary and provides essential medical care to countries that face shortages of healthcare workers. Havana also says the missions are an important source of revenue for the country’s economy.
Cuban medical missions have long been a cornerstone of healthcare systems across the Caribbean and other regions. Thousands of Cuban doctors and medical specialists currently work in dozens of countries, often in underserved or rural areas where local staff falls short.
In Honduras, more than 150 Cuban medical workers recently left the country after its new government abruptly canceled a similar agreement.
Despite the end of the government-to-government deal, hundreds of Cuban doctors are expected to remain in Jamaica for now under existing contracts, according to previous statements by Jamaican health officials.
