Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez accused the U.S. of "extorting" Latin American countries by pressuring them into cancelling deals with Havana for the supply of local doctors, which was projected to generate about $7 billions for the island last year.
According to AFP, Rodriguez said the Trump administration was seeking to "strangle" the economy of the island after different countries stopped their agreements, including Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica and Guyana.
"The US government is persecuting, pressuring, and extorting other governments to end the presence of Cuban Medical Brigades in various countries, under false pretenses," Rodriguez added in a social media publication.
However, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights also published a report this week denouncing human rights violations in the missions, calling alleged practices consistent with "modern slavery."
The body said it received "detailed information" pointing to labor conditions that could amount to forced labor or human trafficking. The findings include claims of "absence of fair remuneration," excessive working hours, and pressure on medical personnel to participate without access to contracts.
The report also cites "reprisals against personnel and their families" if workers fail to comply with program rules.
The IACHR warned of broader human rights concerns, including "retention of identity documents, confiscation of wages, control and surveillance of private life," and restrictions on freedom of movement. It added that medical workers who abandon missions may face severe consequences, including being barred from returning to Cuba, leading to family separation.
One country that has continued with the program is Mexico. In a social media post in late March, the Mexican embassy in the United States said its healthcare partnerships "ensure direct compensation for medical professionals and dignified working conditions," adding that "foreign workers have the same rights and conditions as Mexican workers under Mexican law."
The post came after GOP Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart accused Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum of being "complicit in human trafficking," citing U.S. policy targeting Cuba's overseas medical programs.
Díaz-Balart's criticism echoes broader concerns raised by U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has described Cuba's deployment of doctors abroad as a "form of human trafficking." The programs, which send Cuban medical professionals to countries across Latin America and beyond, have long been a point of tension between Washington and Havana.
Mexico, however, defended the initiative as a necessary response to gaps in its healthcare system, particularly in rural areas. Speaking earlier this week, Sheinbaum said Cuban doctors have played a key role in reaching underserved communities, noting that "it's hard to get Mexican doctors and specialists to go out to many rural areas where we need medical specialists, and the Cubans are willing to work there."
