Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has publicly declared that she is willing to have her United States (US) visa revoked in support of Cuba’s medical professionals, urging Caribbean Community (Caricom) nations to defend the Cuban health brigade programme and emphasise the immense value it has provided to the region.
Mottley, speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, stressed that while Barbados does not currently have Cuban medical staff, the island could not have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic without the assistance of Cuban doctors and nurses. “This matter, with the Cubans and the nurses, should tell us everything that we need to know,” she said. “I will be the first to go to the line and tell you that we could not have gotten through the pandemic without the Cuban nurses and doctors.”
For Caribbean nations, the Cuban medical partnership represents a lifeline. With approximately 24,180 Cuban doctors serving in 56 countries worldwide, their presence has been instrumental in bolstering healthcare systems throughout the region, especially in nations with limited medical infrastructure.
In several countries, Cuban health professionals have filled critical gaps, providing essential services in areas such as surgery, emergency deva, and general healthcare, often in regions that would otherwise have few medical professionals available.
Mottley’s remarks come amid growing tension with the United States, which recently announced an expansion of its visa restriction policy targeting individuals involved in Cuba’s overseas medical missions, including foreign government officials and their families. U.S Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained that the policy would apply to those believed to be responsible for or involved in Cuba’s “labour export programme,” which is linked to Cuba’s overseas medical missions.
While Mottley has been vocal in her support for the Cuban medical programme, Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali has yet to take a similar stand. Ali has not spoken out in support of Cuba or publicly denounced the U.S policy aimed at punishing countries benefiting from Cuban medical expertise. His silence contrasts with the bold stance taken by Mottley, who has made it clear she is prepared to lose her visa, if necessary, as she believes that standing by principles is paramount.
In addition to Mottley, several other Caricom leaders, including the Prime Ministers of Antigua and Barbuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago, have voiced their support for the Cuban medical programme. Grenada’s Foreign Minister Joseph Andall also reiterated the country’s “legal, moral, and ethical obligation” to stand by Cuba, emphasising that the relationship between the two nations should not be opportunistic or transactional.
Mottley, the only female head of government in the Caribbean, reiterated her resolve: “Principles only mean something when it is inconvenient to stand by them. Now we don’t have to shout, but we can be resolute.” She expressed her commitment to standing alongside her CARICOM counterparts to ensure the region defends the invaluable contributions of Cuban health professionals, who she said “have been to save lives and limbs and sight for many a Caribbean person.”
Unlike Mottley, President Ali’s position on the matter remains unclear, and it remains to be seen whether he will follow in Mottley’s footsteps and take a strong stand against the U.S’ aggressive stance on Cuba’s health mission.