Overview
- President Claudia Sheinbaum, who said Wednesday the agreement “has been a great help,” confirmed Mexico will keep its deal that stations Cuban doctors in underserved areas.
- A new U.S. law passed in February threatens sanctions on countries that pay Havana for these deployments, and top officials have called the missions forced labor and human trafficking.
- Several neighbors have walked away from the program under U.S. pressure, including Honduras, Guatemala, Jamaica, Guyana and the Bahamas.
- Mexico has received thousands of Cuban physicians since 2022 to work in rural and high-crime zones where local specialists are scarce, though the exact number now in-country is unclear.
- Mexico earlier halted oil shipments to Cuba after tariff threats from Washington and shifted to sending aid, showing it is managing ties with the U.S. even as it keeps the doctors.