Gov’t to seek clarity on U.S. restrictions on Cuban healthcare workers

– VP Jagdeo confident that fair solution will be met

The Government of Guyana has expressed its intention to seek clarity on the position of the United States Government to expand a visa restriction policy which targets Cuban officials that are believed to be affiliated with a labour program that seeks to send Cuban workers overseas, particularly those in the field of healthcare, as expressed by the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday.

The U.S. announced the measure late last month, where it suggested that the labour export programmes  that are run by the Cuban government “enrich the Cuban regime.” The announcement further went on to state that all who are involved would be deemed complicit in the “exploitation and forced labor of Cuban workers.”

“This expanded policy applies to current or former Cuban government officials, and other individuals, including foreign government officials, who are believed to be responsible for, or involved in, the Cuban labor export program, particularly Cuba’s overseas medical missions. This policy also applies to the immediate family of such persons. The Department has already taken steps to impose visa restrictions on several individuals, including Venezuelans, under this expanded policy,” the press statement said.

Vice President and General Secretary of the governing People’s Progressive Party, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, while speaking at his weekly party press conference, has assured that it is working with the U.S. State Department to come to a fair solution for all involved.

“I can assure you that there is a regional as well as national engagement with the U.S. State Department on these matters. We want to have Cuban professionals work in our health system, they have been an invaluable support to our health system, but we also want to ensure that they have free choice. This is something that we are working [on] with the US government,” Dr Jagdeo highlighted.

The healthcare system in Guyana and by extension the Caribbean has significantly benefited from the assistance of Cuban healthcare workers over the years.

Even though the U.S. announced that it will restrict the visas of officials tied to Cuban government’s labour program, some of the Caribbean’s key leaders, such as Barbadian Prime Minister , Mia Mottley, Trinidad and Tobago PM, Dr Keith Rowley, St Vincent and the Grenadines PM Dr Ralph Gonsalves and Jamaica’s Foreign Minister, have already shown support for the Cuban healthcare workers, citing the significant impact the workers have had, especially during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

However, Vice President Jagdeo has noted that the government is confident in the diplomatic approach they will take with the United States.

“We do not do diplomacy in the public [domain]. I believe we have [a] strong engagement with the Trump administration and with the State Department that would allow this matter to be resolved to the satisfaction of all parties. That is how we will approach it,” the VP said.