News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Mon. March 10, 2025: For decades, the Caribbean has turned to Cuba not out of ideology but necessity. When hurricanes strike, when pandemics rage, and when overburdened health systems teeter on collapse, it is often Cuban doctors who step in—not as invaders, but as lifelines. Their presence in small island states and underserved communities is not a matter of politics but of public health survival. The U.S. now threatens sanctions and visa restrictions on Caribbean leaders who engage with Cuba’s medical brigades, branding the program as exploitative and akin to forced labor. But this argument, though forceful, is fundamentally flawed. What is truly exploitative – accepting medical aid that saves lives, or denying it under political pressure with no viable alternative?
The region is not merely grateful for Cuba’s assistance; it is deeply dependent on it. Non-Communicable Diseases, (NCDs),account for over 75% of deaths in the Caribbean, crippling economies and straining fragile healthcare systems. In Jamaica alone, the economic toll of NCDs exceeds 5% of GDP. The situation is equally dire across the Eastern Caribbean, where specialist care remains a luxury, not a guarantee. The Cuban model, while imperfect, has helped to bridge the gaps, offering both preventive and emergency care where local systems fall short. Yet, the U.S. State Department’s stance does not acknowledge this reality. If Cuban doctors are suddenly deemed unsuitable, what superior alternative does Washington propose? Where are the American-funded medical teams ready to fill the void? A policy of obstruction without substitution is not diplomacy – it is negligence.
Caribbean leaders must neither bow to pressure nor respond with empty defiance. Instead, they should engage the U.S. with an evidence-based, solution-driven approach. First, they must present transparent data proving the ethical nature of their agreements with Cuba, countering claims of forced labor with documented testimonies of doctors who voluntarily serve. Second, they must demand clear commitments from Washington – if not Cuban doctors, then what? Increased U.S. investment in regional healthcare? Medical scholarships for Caribbean students? Strengthened partnerships with historically Black medical institutions in the U.S. to produce homegrown talent? Solutions, not sanctions, must shape this conversation.
This moment calls for a bolder regional stance – one that prioritizes the well-being of Caribbean people over the shifting winds of global power struggles. A collective diplomatic front, leveraging organizations like CARICOM and the OECS, can negotiate from a position of strength rather than fragmentation. The region must also diversify its partnerships, exploring agreements with other global health leaders, from Brazil to India, ensuring that healthcare security is not held hostage to any single nation’s geopolitical agenda.
The Caribbean stands in the center of a new unfolding global reality: surrender its right to choose life-saving partnerships or demand a new diplomatic paradigm – one that is pragmatic, ethical, and focused on results. If Washington truly values Caribbean stability and prosperity, it must come to the table not with threats, but with solutions. Until then, Caribbean nations must stand firm in their duty to heal, refusing to let their public health decisions be dictated by distant political calculations. The right to health is not a privilege – it is a necessity.