Jamaica, Guatemala and others end Cuban medical agreements under US pressure
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Apr 26
Jamaica, Guatemala and others end Cuban medical agreements under US pressure
6 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Apr 26
Jamaica's abrupt termination of its nearly 30-year Cuban doctor agreement has left patients like Novlyn Ebanks unable to access affordable eye surgery, with costs now reaching 350,000 Jamaican dollars.
Nearly a dozen Latin American and Caribbean nations have withdrawn Cuban doctors, creating healthcare gaps, especially in underserved communities, as US pressure intensifies and visa restrictions target officials linked to the programme.
Cuba denies allegations of forced labour, arguing the programme funds domestic services, while NGOs and local officials warn the sudden loss of specialists disproportionately harms the region’s poorest populations.
Why does Mexico defy US pressure to retain thousands of Cuban doctors?
Is US pressure on Cuba creating an unavoidable healthcare crisis for its neighbors?
Can nations like Jamaica afford to replace the free healthcare Cuba once provided?
Is Cuba's renowned medical program a humanitarian mission or a form of modern slavery?
What happens to Cuba's economy without its main source of foreign income?
How can the rights of doctors and the health of patients both be protected?
US Pressure Ends Cuban Medical Cooperation in Jamaica and Guatemala, Leaving 689 Doctors Gone and Healthcare Gaps Widened
Overview
In early 2026, Jamaica and Guatemala ended their long-standing medical cooperation agreements with Cuba, affecting over 600 Cuban health workers and creating serious healthcare gaps in vulnerable rural and indigenous communities. These terminations followed failed negotiations and concerns over program irregularities, but were largely driven by intense U.S. pressure, including visa restrictions and labeling the missions as forced labor. Cuba condemned the moves as coercion, while the U.S. intensified sanctions and an oil blockade that deepened Cuba's economic crisis. Both countries now face challenges replacing Cuban medical personnel, raising urgent human rights concerns about access to essential healthcare amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.