US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday moved to revoke or restrict visas for certain officials from Africa, the Caribbean, and Brazil, whom Washington accuses of being linked to a Cuban programme that deploys medical workers abroad.
The State Department revoked the visas of Brazilian Ministry of Health official Mozart Julio Tabosa Sales and former Pan American Health Organization official Alberto Kleiman, Rubio said in a statement.
Rubio did not name other officials who were affected but said they were from Africa, Cuba and Grenada.
Cynical Excuse
The Cuban government has blasted US efforts to stop the medical missions, calling them a cynical excuse to go after its foreign currency earnings.
Caribbean leaders have previously rejected US accusations of Cuban labor exploitation.
“Cuba’s medical cooperation will continue,” Johana Tablada, Cuba’s deputy director of US affairs, said on X. “His (Rubio’s) priorities speak volumes: financing Israel genocide on Palestine, torturing Cuba, going after health care services for those who need them most,” Tablada wrote.
‘Unreasonable Attacks’
Brazilian Health Minister Alexandre Padilha said his government will not bow to what he called “unreasonable attacks” on Brazil’s Mais Medicos, or “More Doctors,” programme mentioned by Rubio. The programme was created in 2013. Cuba’s contract in it was terminated in 2018.
Reversing Biden-Era Rules
President Donald Trump’s administration in February expanded visa restrictions to target officials believed to be tied to the Cuban programme, which has sent medics around the world since the Cuban revolution in 1959. The programme provides hard cash to the island nation, which is enduring its latest economic crisis.
Trump has imposed a hard-line policy toward communist-run Cuba and reversed former President Joe Biden’s measures.
Rubio labeled the Cuban programme as one where “medical professionals are ‘rented’ by other countries at high prices and most of the revenue is kept by the Cuban authorities.” He said it enriches Cuban officials and deprives Cuban people of essential medical care.
Washington will act “to bring an end to such forced labour,” Rubio said, urging governments to pay doctors directly for their services.
In announcing restrictions on Brazil and ex-PAHO officials, Rubio accused the branch of the World Health Organization covering Caribbean, Central and South America of acting as an intermediary to implement the programme without following Brazilian constitutional requirements, and dodging US sanctions.
(With inputs from Reuters)
