Sheinbaum Maintains Cuba Doctor Agreement Amid U.S. Pressure

Jack Hunter

Summary

Mexico will continue using Cuban doctors despite U.S. pressures.

Why this matters

This decision highlights Mexico's independent foreign policy stance and contrasts with U.S. efforts to isolate Cuba.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Wednesday that Mexico will uphold its agreement with Cuba to employ Cuban doctors, despite the pressure from the United States.

In her morning briefing, Sheinbaum stated, “It’s a bilateral agreement that helps Mexico a lot,” when asked if she would discontinue the agreement to comply with the Trump administration’s demands.

The U.S. government characterizes Cuba’s dispatch of medical professionals as a “form of human trafficking.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated this stance, highlighting measures against certain Central American officials linked to what he described as Cuba’s “forced labor scheme.”

Cuba’s medical missions have historically provided assistance to rural areas in Latin America, where healthcare infrastructure is limited. Despite critiques, Cuban doctors have been pivotal, notably during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sheinbaum defended the arrangement, emphasizing the contributions of Cuban doctors in underserved regions: “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.”

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