Published: 11:39 AM, 14 April 2026
US accuses Cuba of forced labour scheme
A number of Latin American and Caribbean nations like Honduras and Jamaica have abruptly shut down the missions, and sent Cuban doctors home. - Collected
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday said Mexico will continue to have Cuban doctors work in the country at a time when other nations across the Americas have ditched their agreements with Cuba's government in the face of mounting U.S. pressure, reports The Associated Press (AP).
"It's a bilateral agreement that helps Mexico a lot," said Sheinbaum in her morning press briefing when asked if she would uphold the agreement or give in to pressures by the Trump administration.
The leader's support of the Cuban medical program comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has suffocated Cuba by effectively cutting the island off from oil imports and has sought to isolate the Caribbean nation in an effort to push for regime change. The U.S. has pushed to end such missions, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling it a "form of human trafficking." Asked for a response on Wednesday, the White House pointed to a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio in June when the administration announced restrictions for various Central American officials with ties to Cuba's "forced labor scheme." Rubio at the time said the restrictions "promote accountability for those who support and perpetuate these exploitative practices."
A number of Latin American and Caribbean nations like Honduras and Jamaica have abruptly shut down the missions, and sent Cuban doctors home.
Cuba's practice of deploying doctors - often highly skilled in providing care with scarce resources - is often a means of diplomacy, but has long been criticized by the U.S. government. Despite that, Cuban doctors have played an important role in rural areas of Latin America lacking basic medical infrastructure like the Amazon and parts of Central America.
Sheinbaum on Wednesday defended the program and said that "we can't forget" all the help Cuban doctors have offered during the COVID-19 pandemic and in rural areas across the country. It's unclear exactly how many Cuban doctors currently work in Mexico.
