Caribbean leaders are mounting a vigorous defense of their long-standing medical education partnerships with Cuba following recent U.S. demands to terminate these programs. The escalating diplomatic tension emerges as Washington intensifies pressure on CARICOM nations ahead of their February summit in St. Kitts.
Former Dominican UN Ambassador Crispin Gregoire has emerged as a vocal critic, characterizing the American directive as “deeply unfair” and potentially devastating to regional healthcare systems. “If the Americans prohibit our medical training in Cuba, will they provide alternative scholarships to U.S. universities? The unequivocal answer is negative,” Gregoire stated. “The United States lacks sufficient capacity to educate its own physicians, let alone accommodate ours.”
The medical education ultimatum forms part of a comprehensive U.S. policy shift that includes termination of USAID programs throughout the Caribbean, restrictive visa policies targeting Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Vincent, requirements to accept U.S. deportees, and requests to host American military radar installations.
St. Lucian Prime Minister Philip Pierre confirmed receiving Washington’s demand to cease Cuban medical education exchanges, noting this creates a “major issue” for his nation’s healthcare infrastructure. “Numerous our physicians received training in Cuba, and now the eminent United States dictates we must discontinue this practice,” Pierre remarked.
The geopolitical dimensions extend beyond educational concerns. With Venezuela ceasing oil shipments to Cuba and Mexico facing pressure to halt energy supplies, Cuba confronts a severe energy crisis. Russian and Iranian assistance offers might be obstructed by heightened U.S. naval presence in Caribbean waters.
Gregoire contextualized the confrontation within broader global power competition: “The entire international architecture is transforming. America is focusing on its backyard because Chinese and Russian engagement intensifies here. They seek to counter that influence. Cuba currently stands in the crosshairs.”
CARICOM leaders, including summit chair and Cuban-trained physician Terrance Drew of St. Kitts, prepare for crucial February 24 discussions that may determine the future of regional healthcare cooperation and Caribbean sovereignty in an increasingly multipolar world.