Cuban authorities are preparing to recall their medical brigade from Guyana following the Guyanese government’s decision to pay Cuban doctors and nurses directly rather than routing the majority of payments through the Cuban government. This move comes after years of criticism from the United States, which has condemned Cuba’s medical missions as a form of forced labor.
Guyana’s Health Minister Frank Anthony stated Monday that Cuba has chosen to terminate the nearly 50-year-old program. The Cuban contingent, comprising over 200 medical professionals, has been instructed to prepare for departure from Guyana. Despite the governmental rupture, Guyana remains open to contracting individual Cuban doctors who wish to remain in the country.
This development reflects a broader regional pattern. Jamaica recently ended its decades-long medical agreement with Cuba due to disputes over direct payments to physicians. Similarly, Cuban doctors departed Honduras after the government suspended its contract with Cuba citing regulatory non-compliance. Other nations including the Bahamas, Antigua, Dominica, and Saint Lucia are considering adjustments to their payment structures for Cuban medical personnel.
Concurrently, diplomatic tensions are escalating. Cuba recently closed its embassy in Quito after Ecuador declared Cuba’s ambassador and staff persona non grata, giving them 48 hours to leave the country. Ecuador also recalled its ambassador from Havana. This move signals Ecuador’s alignment with the United States, which is working to strengthen its influence in Latin America while further isolating Cuba.
The United States has implemented various measures to pressure the Havana regime, including blocking oil shipments to Cuba. This combined economic, diplomatic, and political pressure is resulting in a significant reversal of Cuba’s longstanding medical and diplomatic cooperation throughout the region.
The withdrawal of medical teams from Guyana and other nations, coupled with the embassy closure in Ecuador, marks a rupture in Cuba’s international standing and will have far-reaching implications for healthcare delivery and diplomatic relations across Latin America and the Caribbean.