Cuba is preparing to withdraw its medical brigade of more than 200 doctors from Guyana, ending a program that spanned nearly 50 years, after Guyana moved to pay Cuban physicians their full salaries directly rather than route most of the payments to the Cuban government. Guyana’s Health Minister Frank Anthony confirmed Monday that Cuban authorities had asked their doctors to prepare to leave.
“We have been engaging the Cuban authorities and they chose to terminate or withdraw the Cuban doctors who were here,” Anthony said.
The announcement follows similar departures elsewhere in the region. Jamaica’s government ended a Cuban medical mission last week after both nations disagreed on a plan to pay doctors directly. Cuban doctors also departed Honduras last week after its government suspended the contract, saying the program no longer met regulations.
Cuba has deployed doctors to African, South American, and Caribbean nations for decades under diplomatic agreements that earned the Cuban government money while providing medical care in places where it was otherwise scarce. The Trump administration has sharply criticized the arrangements. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described the missions as forced labor.
The withdrawal from Guyana comes as the Trump administration takes additional measures to isolate Cuba’s government, including blocking oil shipments to the island.
Several other Caribbean nations — including The Bahamas, Antigua, Dominica, and St. Lucia — have said they are interested in changing how they pay Cuban doctors, signaling the pressure on the program extends beyond the three countries where missions have already ended.
Anthony said that despite the breakdown between the two governments, Guyana is prepared to hire Cuban doctors who remain in the country through individual contracts.