US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday said that he would engage further with Jamaica over Cuban doctors helping its health system, given Washington’s threat to halt visas for officials tied to the programme.
Rubio has accused Cuban and other regional government officials involved of human trafficking and labour exploitation. However, these accusations have been denied by Cuba and many Caribbean leaders, who say the Cuban medical programmes are essential and comply with international labour laws.
“Jamaica has a deficit in health personnel,” Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness told a joint press conference with Rubio. “We ensure that they are treated within our labour laws and benefit like any other worker.”
“Any characterisation of the programme by others certainly would not be applicable to Jamaica,” he added.
Earlier this month, Jamaican Foreign Minister Kamina Johnson Smith told reporters her government was concerned about the accusation. She said the presence of some 400 Cuban doctors, nurses, and medical technicians was important for Jamaica’s healthcare system.
Elsewhere in the region, other Caribbean leaders have rejected the accusations of labour exploitation, and some have said they would rather give up visas than the medics.
Washington has also announced tariffs for countries that buy Venezuelan oil.
Potential visa restrictions come as the US also mulls possible wider-ranging visa bans for some smaller Caribbean nations, which have citizen-by-investment programmes, under which foreigners can pay for access to visas or passports.
Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants and a fluent Spanish speaker, is a long-time hawk on Cuba and Venezuela policy, pushing for the region to reduce its ties with Cuba and Venezuela.
Rubio highlighted US relations with Jamaica, saying it could benefit from the near-shoring of supply chains and that the US would offer security support aimed at reducing gang activity.
This support, he said, would include forensic laboratories and initiatives aimed at reducing recruitment into criminal organisations.
“I can think of no better friends than the Caribbean and, frankly, in the Western Hemisphere, than Jamaica,” Rubio added.
He did not say what business operations US firms could launch in Jamaica.
Under previous governments, many companies, from IT firms to carmakers serving US markets, have moved from hubs in Asia to Mexico, though US tariff threats have thrown the future of many of these supply chains into uncertainty.
Source: Excerpts from Reuters