[News] U.S. Demands that Saint Lucia Prohibit Its Citizens from Studying Medicine in Cuba

[Anti-Imperialist News]

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<https://www.telesurenglish.net/u-s-demands-that-saint-lucia-prohibit-its-citizens-from-studying-medicine-in-cuba/>
U.S. Demands that Saint Lucia Prohibit Its Citizens from Studying Medicine
in Cuba
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Foreign students at the Latin American School of Medicine in Cuba. Photo:
Cuba Solidarity.
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February 3, 2026
The Trump administration accuses Cuban medical missions of ‘coercion and
labor abuses.’

On Monday, Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre revealed that the
United States has pressured his country to prohibit its citizens from
studying medicine in Cuba.

*RELATED: *

*Saint Lucia Reaffirms Solidarity with Cuba in the Face of Renewed External
Pressure
<https://kawiri.telesurenglish.net/saint-lucia-reaffirms-solidarity-with-cuba-in-the-face-of-renewed-external-pressure/>*

At the World Congress on Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health, he stated
that most doctors in his country were trained in Cuba and that this measure
exacerbates an already “overburdened” healthcare system.

Pierre noted that this is a serious problem and urged looking for
solutions. Cuban medical missions, through which Havana sends healthcare
personnel to dozens of countries, are a source of tension with Washington,
which accuses them of “coercion and labor abuses.”

Due to U.S. pressure, Antigua and Barbuda recruited 120 nurses from Ghana
to replace Cuban professionals in January, while the Bahamas suspended
recruitment and canceled contracts with Cuban employment agencies.

*The text reads, “At the Pedro Medina Fuguett Comprehensive Diagnostic
Center (CDI), our Physiatry specialist provides high-quality care with the
commitment of the Cuban Medical Brigade, restoring well-being and joy to
our Venezuelan brothers and sisters.”*

Initially, members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), such as Saint
Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, and the Bahamas, defended Cuban medical
missions as vital to their healthcare systems.

However, pressure from Washington has forced several countries to
capitulate, which weakens regional medical cooperation and creates
uncertainty in the training of new professionals.

On February 25, 2025, the U.S. announced the expansion of visa restrictions
against those who profit from the “labor exploitation” of Cuban workers
abroad. The State Department indicated that the policy applies to current
or former officials of foreign governments involved in Cuban medical
mission programs.

*teleSUR: JP*

*Source: EFE*
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