The Bahamas and the United States will discuss Cuban doctors and the restriction of visas for civil servants

The Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Philip Daviswill lead a delegation this Monday to meet with high -ranking officials from the USA to discuss two important topics: The attitude of Cuban doctors in the archipelago And The recent visa restrictions that Washington have imposed for cuban medical missions.

According to the Bahamas press spokesman ,, Keishla AdderleyThe meeting is an answer to the Concern of the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio With regard to the compensation for Cuban doctors, which he accused of being the victim of “human trafficking”, the agency reported Efe.

Rubio has defended the decision to restrict visas for civil servants in connection with these medical missionsWhat Washington considers as a form of work exploitation.

According to a report from the project Archivo CubaBased on unofficially trapped contracts, The Havana regime keeps between 83.9% and 91.6% of the money that Bahamas pays for every Cuban health profession. The employees only receive a small monthly scholarship, while the majority of the payments go to the Comercializadora de Servicios Médicos Cubanos (CSMC), a Cuban state unit.

For example, The contract stipulates that the Bahamas pay up to $ 12,000 per month for every “specialists for medical consultants”.from what Only 1,200 reaches the worker. For health technicians or computer engineers, the Caribbean nation blocks $ 5,000 a month, but the cuban professional’s scholarship is barely $ 990.

In addition to these payments, there are additional services such as living, transport, health insurance, English courses and administrative costswhich increase the total costs per employee above the local average content. More than 100 Cubans are currently working in hospitals and health institutions on the Bahamas such as Princess Margaret and Rand Memorial.

The report also emphasizes that Many specialists are tied to restrictive clauses that prevent them from accepting freelance contractsdemand that they maintain confidentiality and even Enter disciplinary sanctions from Cuba. It also indicates that Some work without a valid immigration permit and are forced to take part in political demonstrations that are organized by the Cuban embassy.

In one recent Marco Rubio toured in several Caribbean countries deal with the situation of Cuban medical missions, He described these missions as “cruel practice” and called for a case-to-fall check of the existing agreements, Quote potential violations of human and labor rights.

Washington has included this program in its assessments of human trafficking And has imposed Visa restrictions on the affected civil servants. The annual report of the Foreign Ministry estimates this The Cuban regime generates over $ 4.9 billion annually through the export of medical servicesin a system that describes it as “compulsive and exploitative”.

Despite the complaints in December 2024, the Health Minister of the Bahamas, Dr. Michael Darvilleand the director of public hospitals authority, Dr. Aubynette rolepublicly confirmed the “positive” type of agreement with the Cuban regime and confirmed their interest in the expansion of bilateral health cooperation.

In addition, Dr. Michael Darville during the International Cuba Health convention 2025 in April with his Cuban counterpart José Ángel Portal Miranda, with whom he assessed actions by both ministries to pursue mutually advantageous topics.

Frequently asked questions about the attitude of Cuban doctors on the Bahamas and Visa restrictions in the United States