Mexico will continue accepting Cuban medical workers despite US pressure

"We have a very good agreement that's also been a great help to us. It's a bilateral agreement that's been very beneficial for Mexico. 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."

"The US passed a law that opens the door to sanctions on countries that continue to participate in the programme. It called for the US secretary of state to issue a report within 90 days about which countries continue to pay the government of Cuba for the coerced and trafficked labour of Cuban medical professionals."

"Cuba has long depicted the decades-old programme as a means of signalling solidarity with other countries. It has also become an important source of foreign revenue for the island nation, which has been under a restrictive US economic embargo since 1960."

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the continuation of Cuban medical workers in Mexico, emphasizing the program's benefits for underserved rural areas. Thousands of Cuban doctors have been deployed since 2022, filling gaps where Mexican specialists are scarce. Sheinbaum highlighted the bilateral agreement as advantageous for Mexico. The US has enacted laws to sanction countries participating in the program, aiming to isolate Cuba. Despite US pressure, several countries have already withdrawn from the Cuban medical exchange, which Cuba views as a symbol of solidarity and a vital source of revenue.

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