The Cuban government has withdrawn 277 doctors from Jamaica after failing to respond to a proposal to reform the medical cooperation agreement. Jamaica regrets the decision and states that the previous conditions violated its labor laws and international conventions. The review followed US pressures on the program.
Jamaica's Ministry of Foreign Affairs began approaching Cuba last July to renegotiate the agreement governing the Cuban medical mission in the country. The proposal included direct payments to the doctors and the return of their passports, but received no response from Havana, leading to the withdrawal of the 277 health professionals.
According to a statement from Jamaica's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, the government is disappointed with Cuba's stance, which preferred withdrawal over accepting what it considers reasonable terms. "We value the contribution of the medical personnel, respect the Cuban people, and maintain our commitment to cooperation. However, no program operating in Jamaica can continue under conditions that contradict Jamaican legislation and international conventions," the ministry emphasized.
The agreement review started after the United States declared that Cuban medical missions constitute forced labor and revoked visas for officials from several countries in June. In Jamaica, it was found that the doctors were not carrying their passports, prompting immediate measures to address this in coordination with the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency and local Cuban authorities.
On salaries, Jamaica paid in US dollars to Cuban authorities at levels equivalent to Jamaican counterparts, but the doctors received only overtime pay. There was no contractual provision specifying what portion should go directly to the doctors, raising concerns under Jamaican labor and tax laws as well as international labor conventions.
Discussions reached Jamaica's Cabinet in October, after which a formal proposal was drafted. Cuba's continued lack of response effectively preserved an agreement that Jamaica could not justify. This decision joins recent actions by other regional countries, including Honduras, Guatemala, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Guyana, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which have modified or canceled similar deals with Cuba.
Cuban-American legislator María Elvira Salazar criticized the program on social media: "The so-called ‘medical missions’ are not humanitarian aid. They are a multimillion-dollar forced labor business in which the regime keeps up to 90% of the doctors’ salaries."
