Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said her government will keep in place a bilateral arrangement under which Cuban doctors work in the country, pushing back against questions about whether the program could be dropped in response to pressure from the Trump administration.
Speaking during a Wednesday morning press briefing, Sheinbaum said Mexico would continue the agreement and described it as beneficial. When asked whether Mexico would uphold the Cuban doctor program or yield to U.S. pressure, she said it was “a bilateral agreement that helps Mexico a lot,” according to her remarks in the briefing.
Sheinbaum’s defense came as other governments across the Americas have ended similar medical missions, with many citing mounting U.S. pressure and restrictions aimed at Cuba. The issue has come into focus as the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has sought to isolate Cuba, including by effectively cutting the island off from oil imports.
The AP report said Sheinbaum was responding to the broader U.S. effort to push back against Cuba’s doctor deployment program. It noted that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described the doctor missions as a “form of human trafficking,” and that the U.S. has pushed to end such deployments.
Asked for a response Wednesday, the White House pointed to a statement Rubio made in June when the administration announced restrictions affecting officials linked to what it described as Cuba’s “forced labor scheme.” In that earlier statement, Rubio said the restrictions “promote accountability for those who support and perpetuate these exploitative practices,” the AP report said.
Sheinbaum also defended the program by arguing that Mexico could not ignore what Cuban doctors have provided. She said that “we can’t forget” the support Cuban doctors offered during the COVID-19 pandemic and in rural areas across Mexico, according to the AP report.
In addition, Sheinbaum said the practical staffing problem in rural areas made Cuban doctors important. She said, “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,” describing why the program continues to be used.
The AP report said Sheinbaum’s comments also reflected the diplomatic balancing act facing Mexico as it tries to manage tensions with Washington, including threats by Trump toward Mexican cartels. It said Mexico has been a longtime defender of Cuba and has sent oil shipments to the island in earlier years, but that Sheinbaum’s government halted those shipments after Trump threatened tariffs on any nation that sends oil to Cuba.
Instead of oil, the report said Mexico has sent aid shipments and sought to assist Cuba in other ways. It also said Sheinbaum acknowledged that it was unclear exactly how many Cuban doctors currently work in Mexico, while noting the role Cuban doctors have played in rural and underserved areas.
The AP report added that Cuban doctor deployments have long been criticized by the U.S. government, even as they have been described by Cuba and partner countries as a form of diplomacy and a way to provide care where basic medical infrastructure is limited.