Cuba’s foreign minister. Bruno Rodríguez. Has accused the United States of extorting Latin American countries by pressuring them to cancel long-standing agreements for the deployment of Cuban doctors abroad — Rodríguez made the claim following the termination of medical partnerships by several nations, which he said were forced by U.S. influence.

US Campaign Against Cuban Medical Program

The United States has criticized Cuba’s medical missions as a form of forced labor, a stance that aligns with a broader campaign of pressure against the Cuban government, according to the source. This campaign is part of a strategy by former president Donald Trump to intensify sanctions against the communist regime.

Trump has previously threatened to take control of Cuba after removing Venezuela’s leader and confronting Iran, according to reports — Countries seeking to maintain strong ties with Washington have reportedly yielded to pressure to end their medical partnerships with Cuba.

Several nations. Including Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, and Guyana, have terminated their agreements with Cuba, which is struggling economically due in part to a U.S. energy blockade; Rodríguez said the U.S. government was persecuting and extorting other nations to end the presence of Cuban Medical Brigades abroad, citing false pretenses.

Cuba’s Economic Reliance on Medical Missions

According to official figures, about 24,000 Cuban doctors and other healthcare professionals were deployed in 56 countries in 2025. Most of these professionals are sent to remote areas where healthcare access is limited. Half of the deployed personnel were sent to Venezuela, Cuba’s top ally for over a quarter of a century before President Nicolás Maduro was reportedly abducted by U.S. forces in January.

The program was projected to generate $7 billion in earnings for Cuba last year, a major source of income for the cash-strapped nation. However, the termination of these agreements has left Cuba teetering on the edge of economic collapse.

On Tuesday, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) released a report condemning serious human rights violations in the medical missions. The report accused Cuba of withholding doctors’ wages, confiscating passports, and threatening medics with up to eight years in prison if they defected from their jobs abroad.

Accusations of Forced Labor and Human Trafficking

In an interview with AFP, IACHR president Edgar Stuardo Ralón said some of the practices could be classified as “forced labor” and “human trafficking.” According to official Cuban statistics cited in the report, the doctors receive only between 2.5% and 25% of what countries pay Cuba for their services.

Cuba has defended the program as a measure of “solidarity” with other countries, designed to bring health services to “hard-to-reach places.” The government has consistently maintained that the medical missions are voluntary and aimed at supporting nations with limited healthcare access.

The controversy over the Cuban medical program has intensified as more countries continue to terminate their agreements with Cuba. The U.S. has accused the Cuban government of exploiting its medical personnel, while Cuba insists the program is a humanitarian effort and a vital component of its economy.

With the IACHR report highlighting human rights concerns, the situation has raised questions about the ethical implications of the medical missions. As more countries distance themselves from the program, Cuba faces increasing economic and diplomatic challenges.