CUBA | Rubio's Cold War: New US Secretary of State Threatens Caribbean Nations Over Cuban Medical Program

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, March 7, 2025 - In a diplomatic maneuver that echoes Cold War tensions, US President Donald Trump's newly minted Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has launched what critics call a personal vendetta against Cuba, using Jamaica as a conduit for his message.

During February 2025 discussions with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, Rubio's agenda extended beyond the stated goals of "enhancing bilateral relations" and "security cooperation" to deliver an ultimatum that threatens to upend healthcare systems across the Caribbean.

Behind closed doors, Rubio, an American born in Miami, of Cuban origins —who claimed that his family left Cuba following the Revolution—instructed Holness to relay a stark warning to fellow CARICOM nations: any country employing Cuban medical professionals would face severe consequences, including visa restrictions for government ministers and their families.

This hardline policy targets officials deemed "responsible for, or involved in, the Cuban labor export program," with Rubio characterizing the long-standing medical missions as "exploited labor" and "disguised forced labor."

The timing appears calculated, with Holness tasked to deliver this message ahead of the CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in Barbados. Rubio's offensive represents the latest chapter in his ongoing campaign against Cuban interests, following his earlier introduction of a "Bill to Combat the Trafficking of Cuban Doctors."

For Cuba, these medical missions represent both humanitarian outreach and economic lifeline. Since the Revolution, approximately 600,000 Cuban professionals have served in more than 160 countries worldwide, with current programs operating in nearly 60 nations.

Between 2011 and 2025, this overseas medical program reportedly generated over $11 billion—crucial revenue for an island nation struggling under six decades of U.S. economic sanctions.

Across CARICOM nations, Cuba's eye care program stands as a signature healthcare initiative, restoring sight to thousands of Caribbean citizens who would otherwise lack access to specialized ophthalmological care.

More recently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuban doctors and nurses formed the backbone of the regional health response in many member states, arriving when other nations closed their borders and healthcare systems buckled under unprecedented strain.

Caribbean leaders have not taken Rubio's threats lying down. While sentiment among some Cabinet members across the region appears divided—with the U.S. visa restrictions creating a tempting inducement for compliance—a stronger current of solidarity has emerged.

The consensus building among CARICOM states acknowledges that presenting a unified front against Rubio's onslaught will ultimately serve to protect the region's most vulnerable populations, for whom Cuban medical assistance represents their only access to quality healthcare.

"There was an agreement to engage the Trump Administration on a number of issues," explained one regional leader. "We felt that President Trump should see the region not through the eyes of third parties but directly get views from the leaders of the region."

This diplomatic pushback reflects a growing recognition that healthcare sovereignty cannot be bartered away for travel privileges.

CARICOM foreign ministers, meeting virtually in response to Rubio's ultimatum, agreed to seek clarifications from the State Department, as most member states currently benefit from Cuban medical partnerships.

Suriname's Foreign Affairs Minister Albert Ramdin highlighted the regional consensus: "There is a similar view throughout the region that these decisions will impact, in a very direct way, the services countries cannot fund in terms of medical care."

The Cuban medical internationalism that Rubio seeks to dismantle has deep historical roots. In 1963, Cuba sent its first medical mission to newly independent Algeria, which was struggling with a healthcare crisis after French professionals departed en masse.

At the inauguration of a new Medical School in Havana in 1962, Fidel Castro called for 50 volunteer doctors to assist Algeria, laying the foundation for what would become Cuba's signature diplomatic export.

Editor's Note: We have been informed that Marco Rubio is an American of Cuban origin, whose family left Cuba under the Batista regime,  prior to the triumph of the revolution in 1959.

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