By Zoila Palma: On May 27, 2026, during an appearance on Open Your Eyes, Prime Minister John Briceno said that the Government of Belize remains hopeful that some agreement can be reached to allow the Cuban medical brigade to remain in Belize.
“We are still hopeful we can work some kind of agreement with the Cuban government that they would allow the medical brigade members to stay if they want to stay and still meeting what is expected from the Americans who are saying this is a form of human trafficking, to address that so that we can say they are working on their own free will and this is money to them and not the state,” PM Briceno said.
“ But as we have been saying from the start we are paying the doctors directly and not the government,” the Prime Minister added.
The Cuban medical program is 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” citing that the Cuban state retains such a high percentage of the earnings.
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By Zoila Palma: On May 27, 2026, during an appearance on Open Your Eyes, Prime Minister John Briceno said that the Government of Belize remains hopeful that some agreement can be reached to allow the Cuban medical brigade to remain in Belize. “We are still hopeful we can work some kind of agreement with the
The post Prime Minister hopeful for agreement to allow Cuban medical brigade to remain in country appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.