Last Sunday, US Special Envoy for Latin America and the Caribbean, Mauricio Claver-Carone, met in Washington with representatives from Barbados, the Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica. St Kitts-Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
Informed sources told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that while the regional representatives were informed of the pending visit of Rubio, no specific date or countries to be visited had been disclosed.
According to the sources the meeting discussed a wide range of issues from Washington’s recent announcement regarding the Cuban health brigade system to energy and economic development as well as Haiti’s security and stability.
Caricom countries have defended the Cuban health programme which they say have benefitted the region significantly even as Rubio announced recently that Washington would be expanding an existing Cuba-related visa restriction policy that targets forced labour linked to the Cuban labour export programme.
“This expanded policy applies to current or former Cuban government officials, and other individuals, including foreign government officials, who are believed to be responsible for, or involved in, the Cuban labour export programme, particularly Cuba’s overseas medical missions,” Rubio said then.
The Antigua and Barbuda, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago prime ministers have publicly expressed their support for the Cuban programme, while Grenada’s Foreign Minister Affairs Minister, Joseph Andall said St George’s not only has a “legal, moral and ethical” obligation to stand by the people of Cuba but that it should avoid being opportunistic or transactional as it pertains to the relations between the two countries”.
“Cuba continues to be a trustworthy friend and partner not only of Grenada, not only of the Caribbean but of people the world over. When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, Cuban doctors went as far as Italy to provide services, I did not hear anybody talk about human trafficking and things like that,” Andall told the Parliament on Tuesday during the country’s national budget debate.
According to the sources, during the meeting on Sunday, Claver-Carone explained that Washington was interested in promoting an opportunity for Cuban medical personnel to independently earn and sell their services and to enjoy the rights enjoyed by other Caricom workers under International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions and other international best practices.