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U.S. bars Central American officials from visas over ties to Cuba’s medical missions

The action underscores Washington’s determination to hold intermediaries accountable for alleged forced labor in Havana’s lucrative medical export program.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio gestures as he testifies at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on U.S. President Donald Trump's State Department budget request for the Department of State, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 20, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
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Overview

  • On June 3, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced visa restrictions targeting several unnamed Central American officials connected to Cuba’s medical mission programs.
  • The sanctions extend to officials’ family members and are intended to penalize intermediaries accused of facilitating forced labor and exploitation of Cuban health workers abroad.
  • This latest move follows February’s expansion of U.S. visa curbs on Cuban officials involved in state-sanctioned labor export schemes for healthcare personnel.
  • Cuba’s medical missions generated an estimated $4.9 billion in export earnings in 2022 by dispatching doctors and health workers globally.
  • Havana’s foreign ministry has consistently rejected U.S. accusations that its overseas medical deployments constitute forced labor or violate participants’ rights.