Belize denies quietly sending home Cuban medical workers
Belize’s Health and Wellness Minister Kevin Bernard has denied claims that Cuban healthcare workers are being quietly sent home amid uncertainty over the future of the Cuban Medical Brigade in the country.
The issue emerged after People’s National Party activist Wil Maheia posted a video on social media showing a group of Cuban nationals at an airport with luggage, questioning whether their departure was linked to ongoing discussions over the medical programme.
Bernard dismissed the suggestion as “irresponsible,” saying the workers shown in the video were travelling home on vacation and that Cuban medical personnel take leave at different times throughout the year.
“The Cuban people who are here in Belize, they travel every year on vacation, on different time of the year. Not everybody could go on vacation at the same time,” Bernard said.
He added that it was common for the workers to take items home to their families when travelling to Cuba.
“These people are in our system working at this point in time,” Bernard said. “There’s no truth to us sending Cubans home one by one as was insinuated in that social media post.”
The controversy comes as the future of Cuba’s medical cooperation programme in Belize remains under discussion.
The United States has increased pressure on governments participating in Cuba’s overseas medical missions, alleging that the programme involves exploitative labour practices. Belize and several other Caribbean governments have pushed back against the characterization and defended the contribution Cuban healthcare workers make to their health systems.
Belize has maintained that Cuban healthcare professionals working in the country are employed and paid directly through the government payroll system.
Bernard confirmed that diplomatic discussions concerning the programme are continuing, with Belizean officials engaging with Cuban representatives in hopes of reaching an agreement on its future.
He said he hoped the matter could be resolved by the end of September, noting that the Cuban workers also want certainty about their positions.
“I’m hoping that by September, because both for the benefit of the Cuban Brigade they want assurances as well and so we need to ensure that we can solve this matter amicably,” Bernard said.
The minister said Cabinet is expected to be briefed on possible solutions emerging from the discussions, which are being handled in part through Belize’s foreign ministry and the Cuban Embassy.
Bernard stressed that the Cuban medical personnel currently in Belize remain employed by the government and continue to work throughout the country’s healthcare system.
“These people have been here over many years and the ones that are here right now on the program continue to be employed by the Government of Belize and continue to provide that health service that we so desperately need,” he said.
Bernard said the Cuban healthcare workers continue to play an important role in filling human resource shortages across Belize and reiterated the government’s appreciation for Cuba’s longstanding medical assistance.