The Prime Minister addressed concerns regarding the United States government’s stance on Cuban labour, particularly the interpretation of Cuba’s medical programme as human trafficking.

   He was speaking at the official commemoration ceremony marking the “practical completion” of the construction of the Port of Spain General Hospital (PoSGH) Central Block.

   The Prime Minister raised the point as he pointed that Trinidad and Tobago hires healthcare specialists from other countries to work in the nation’s hospitals.

   He emphasised that as a former The University of the West Indies student, he was pleased to hear that the Central Block would provide healthcare training in partnership with the university.

   Rowley recalled that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the country faced challenges obtaining vaccines.

   “Remember what happened during Covid when vaccines were required, and we couldn’t buy one even though we had the money? And even where we paid the money, those we paid put us at the back of the line?

   “Right now, they are telling us something else. We rely a lot for our healthcare delivery on certain specialists who, over the decades, we have obtained from India, from the Philippines, sometimes from Africa, and mainly from Cuba. Out of the blue, we are now being called human traffickers because we hire technical people whom we pay top dollar—equal to local rates—but we are now being accused of taking part in a programme where people are being exploited.”

   He continued, “That’s somebody’s interpretation, and, of course, there are local people here encouraging them to take away our US visas. I just came back from California, and if I never go back there again in my life, I will ensure that the sovereignty of Trinidad and Tobago is known to its people and respected by all,” he said to applause.

   Last month, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced an expanded policy targeting Cuban “forced” labour.

   Under this policy, visa restrictions will apply to current or former Cuban government officials “believed to be responsible for or involved in the Cuban labour export programme, particularly Cuba’s overseas medical missions”.

   In a statement on February 25, 2025, Rubio said the move aims to hold accountable those responsible for or complicit in the exploitation of Cuban workers, particularly in overseas medical missions.

   Foreign Affairs Minister, Amery Browne, along with his regional colleagues from Caricom’s Council for Foreign and Community Relations (Cofcor), was reported to be meeting with US State Department special envoy for Latin America, Mauricio Claver-Carone, on the US-Cuba visa restriction policy in Washington DC during the special General Assembly of the Organisation of American States (OAS), where the OAS Secretary-General was to be elected. The Express contacted Browne yesterday for an update but there was no response.

   St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister, Ralph Gonsalves, has been outspoken about the US’s expanded visa move, saying that such a policy on Cuban medical professionals will negatively impact healthcare in the Caribbean.