Mottley Willing to Lose US Visa Over Cuban Health Programme

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has stated she is prepared to have her US visa revoked as she urges Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nations to defend Cuba’s medical brigade programme.

Speaking in Parliament, Mottley emphasized the programme’s critical role in the region, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Barbados does not currently have Cuban medical staff, but we could not have managed the pandemic without Cuban doctors and nurses,” she said.

The US has questioned the programme, which CARICOM leaders insist has significantly benefited their nations. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently announced an expansion of Cuba-related visa restrictions, targeting officials linked to Cuba’s labor export programme, including foreign government officials and their immediate families.

Several Caribbean leaders, including the prime ministers of Antigua & Barbuda, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and Trinidad & Tobago, have publicly supported Cuba’s medical missions. Grenada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Andall reaffirmed his country’s moral and ethical commitment to Cuba.

Mottley rejected US claims that Caribbean nations engage in human trafficking by employing Cuban medical personnel. She clarified that Cuban professionals are paid the same as their Barbadian counterparts and dismissed such allegations as baseless.

“If we cannot reach a sensible agreement on this matter, and the cost is my US visa, so be it,” she asserted. “Principles matter, and they must be upheld even when inconvenient. We don’t need to shout, but we must remain resolute.”

As the only female head of government in the Caribbean, Mottley reaffirmed her commitment to standing with CARICOM leaders in defending Cuba’s contributions to regional healthcare.