By Zoila Palma: More than 24,000 Cuban doctors are currently deployed across 56 countries worldwide.
The initiative sends healthcare professionals to underserved regions across Latin America and the Caribbean.
The programme, which dates back to the 1960s, has long been promoted by Cuba as an act of international solidarity.
Over the decades, it has expanded to include tens of thousands of medical workers abroad, forming what is widely regarded as one of the largest global health cooperation efforts led by a single country.
However, the programme is now facing mounting pressure, particularly from the United States, which has characterized it as exploitive.
“Doctors sent abroad work under extremely restrictive agreements, with low wages and difficult conditions. While they generate income for the Cuban government through these agreements, the regime also has a chance to expand diplomatic relations. However, Cuban citizens are left lacking access to healthcare, with doctors on the island working under an over-stressed system with few resources,” the Harvard International Review explained.
The United States has characterized these missions as “forced labor schemes” because the Cuban state retains such a high percentage of the earnings.
In the Caribbean, several nations have already terminated or moved to end their long-standing medical partnerships with Cuba. These include Jamaica, which ended a decades-old agreement in 2026, and Guyana, where Cuban medical brigades are being withdrawn after nearly 50 years of cooperation.
Other Caribbean countries have also been affected by the shifting landscape.
The Bahamas has signaled plans to cancel contracts with Cuban healthcare workers, while regional governments such as Dominica and others are reviewing or restructuring their agreements under external pressure.
Despite these setbacks, Cuban medical missions remain deeply embedded across much of the Caribbean, where countries like Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada and St. Lucia have historically relied on Cuban doctors to support their healthcare systems.
The post International News: More than 24,000 Cuban doctors deployed across 56 countries appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: More than 24,000 Cuban doctors are currently deployed across 56 countries worldwide. The initiative sends healthcare professionals to underserved regions across Latin America and the Caribbean. The programme, which dates back to the 1960s, has long been promoted by Cuba as an act of international solidarity. Over the decades, it has expanded
The post International News: More than 24,000 Cuban doctors deployed across 56 countries appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
