The Trump administration is intensifying pressure on Cuba by targeting its overseas medical missions, a major source of revenue for Havana.
The U.S. argues the program exploits Cuban doctors through forced labor and is urging countries to end or reduce contracts, threatening visa restrictions for officials who continue participating.
Several countries—including Jamaica, Guatemala, the Bahamas, and Honduras—have scaled back or ended their agreements, while others, such as St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, say they depend on Cuban doctors to keep their healthcare systems running.
Cuba has about 24,000 medical workers abroad, and the program generated roughly $5.3 billion in 2024, about half of the country's export earnings.
Source: WSJ