The United States has imposed visa restrictions on government officials from African countries, Cuba, and Grenada over their involvement in what it describes as Cuba's coercive medical labor scheme.
In a statement released on Wednesday, August 13, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the sanctions targeting officials and their family members for their complicity in Cuba's medical mission program.
"Today, the Department of State took steps to impose visa restrictions on African, Cuban, and Grenadian government officials, and their family members, for their complicity in the Cuban regime's medical mission scheme in which medical professionals are 'rented' by other countries at high prices and most of the revenue is kept by the Cuban authorities," the statement read.
The US characterized the arrangement as a scheme that enriches the corrupt Cuban regime while depriving the Cuban people of essential medical care.
Secretary Rubio indicated that the US would continue diplomatic engagement while taking necessary action to end what it terms forced labor practices.
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"The United States continues to engage governments and will take action as needed to bring an end to such forced labor. We urge governments to pay the doctors directly for their services, not the regime slave masters," he stated.
The statement emphasized America's commitment to supporting Cuban citizens, calling for international cooperation in addressing the issue.
"We call on all nations that support democracy and human rights to join us in this effort to confront the Cuban regime's abuses and stand with the Cuban people," the statement further read.
Kenya was among the African nations that previously participated in Cuba's medical exchange program. The initiative was launched in 2018 during President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration as part of efforts to address the country's healthcare staffing challenges.
Under the arrangement, dozens of Cuban medical specialists were deployed to Kenyan hospitals to fill staffing gaps in county health facilities.
In exchange, Kenyan doctors were sent to Cuba for specialized training and skills development.
The bilateral health agreement operated for six years before Kenya decided to terminate the arrangement in October 2023.
The decision came during President William Ruto's administration. Officials cited the need to prioritize local healthcare workers and address unemployment among domestic medical professionals as the reason.
