From left: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness shake hands at Office of the Prime Minister in Kingston, Jamaica, on March 26. Photo credit Reuters/Nathan Howard/Pool.
KINGSTON, Jamaica--US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday said that he would engage with Jamaica over Cuban doctors helping its health system to better understand the medical programme there, after Washington threatened to halt visas for officials tied to these programmes.
Rubio has accused officials involved of human trafficking and labour exploitation, accusations denied by Cuba and many Caribbean leaders, who say the Cuban medical programmes are essential and comply with international labour laws.
"Jamaica has a deficit in health personnel," Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness told a joint press conference with Rubio. "We ensure that they are treated within our labour laws and benefit like any other worker."
"Any characterisation of the programme by others certainly would not be applicable to Jamaica," he added.
Earlier this month, Jamaican Foreign Minister Kamina Johnson Smith told reporters her government was concerned about the accusation and the presence of some 400 Cuban doctors, nurses and medical technicians was important for Jamaica's healthcare system.
"Their presence here is of importance to our healthcare system," she said, pointing to 400 doctors, nurses and medical technicians currently working in the country.
Elsewhere in the region, other Caribbean leaders have rejected the accusations of labour exploitation and some have said they would rather give up visas than the medics.
As well as targeting countries receiving Cuban medics, who have since the country's 1959 revolution been dispatched to countries around the world to help people in need, Washington has also announced tariffs for countries that buy Venezuelan oil.
Potential visa bans
The potential visa restrictions come as the US is also mulling possible wider-ranging visa bans for some smaller Caribbean nations, which have citizenship by investment programmes under which foreigners can pay for access to visas or passports.
Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants and a fluent Spanish speaker, is a long-time hawk on Cuba and Venezuela policy, pushing for the region to reduce its ties with Cuba and Venezuela.
Rubio highlighted the US relations with Jamaica, saying it could benefit from the near-shoring of supply chains and that the US would offer security support aimed at reducing gang activity there.
This support, he said, would include forensic laboratories and initiatives aimed at reducing recruitment into criminal organisations.
"I can think of no better friends than the Caribbean, and frankly, in the Western Hemisphere, than Jamaica," Rubio added.
He did not say what business operations US firms could launch in Jamaica.
Under previous governments, many companies from information technology (IT) firms to carmakers serving US markets have moved from hubs in Asia to Mexico, though US tariff threats have thrown the future of many of these supply chains into uncertainty.
Rubio was scheduled to meet with leaders of Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Haiti, who travelled to Jamaica for the occasion, later on Wednesday. ~ Reuters ~
