SOURCE: CARIBBEAN LIFE: Since being sworn in as Secretary of State in late January, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has made himself available to meet with nations in the US’s geographic axis, discussing a range of issues including energy security and controversial allegations from Washington that the region is helping Cuba traffic medical professionals by directly paying the Cuban government instead of the doctors and nurses themselves among others.
Last month, he flew to Jamaica for meetings with Prime Minister Andrew Holness and colleagues from Barbados and Trinidad before heading south to meet with the presidents of Guyana and neighboring Suriname.
Now, a second set of meetings is being arranged and this time, it will involve those who missed out on the last occasion. Antiguan Prime Minister Gaston Browne and his US Ambassador Ronald Sanders announced this week that leaders from the six independent nations in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and The Bahamas will fly to Washington on May 6 for their chance to unload the plethora of problems the Trump administration has dumped on the region via a radical set of policies being implemented at the moment.
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The OECS is a sub-grouping of the 15-nation Caribbean Community. It is unclear if Belize has also been invited or whether it will attend as a Central American nation when their turn comes.
Regional leaders have made no pretenses about their discomfort with policies from Washington, including the new bilateral tariff structure that could raise prices and hamper exports, threats to revoke the visas of government officials involved in the Cuban medical brigade scheme and plans for mass deportations among other complaints.
In his weekly syndicated column this week, Ambassador Sanders, lauded Rubio’s engaging approach to the region and his willingness to meet and listen to complaints. “Such early, sustained engagement signals that the region’s counsel carries weight. In diplomacy, there is no substitute for dialogue, especially when new policies are being cast. These meetings, therefore, are vital,” he argued.
RELATED NEWS: Rubio to meet with OECS, Bahamian leaders – Caribbean Life-00:57
Leaders have stated that they are particularly concerned about how the new tariff structure will affect the 1983 Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) and the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA) scheme that President Ronald Reagan had initiated to allow largely for duty free exports from the region.
“The new tariffs announced on April 3, argues Sanders, cast a shadow over those preferences. No one yet knows whether CBERA’s hard-won relief survives intact or has been diminished in the flood of duties.”
Since taking office on Jan. 20, administration officials have also focused on Cuban medical professionals working in the region, a situation that has clearly angered officials because Washington has threatened to ban travel to the US in retaliation.
Several leaders and top officials have since invited the US to go ahead and take away their visas because the medical program is a lifeline to CARICOM and because the US has offered nothing in return.
There are thousands of Cuban professionals in the region with Jamaica and Guyana being among the largest recipients totaling in excess of 1,000 alone. “CARICOM’s reliance on Cuban medical personnel is born not of ideology but of necessity. Our own doctors and nurses, trained at public expense, are routinely drawn away by richer countries including the US. What remains is a healthcare vacuum that Cuban professionals have helped to fill,” argued Sanders.
Trade between the US and the region allows the US to have a near $6 billion trade surplus but how the new tariff structure will affect the CBI/CBERA and trade going forward is left to be seen, officials say.
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Classic case of device and rule
Ok Gaston you have the chance to beg him to ignore the Russian lady as you were only supporting america hegemony and the USA proxy war in Ukraine.
Let’s be clear..Cuban doctors are not working in the Caribbean for free..Each Goverment paid to them more than locals…They provide same salary wages + Housing (Include bills) and transportation, work permit and travel expenses. So if you see the numbers.. A Cuban doctor receive way more than a local one performing same duties.
Caribbean countries don’t have any issue with them, is Cuban government that take a huge % of their salary, make them sign a contract that those doctors can have a copy of them, obligated them not to travel with their family (Like Spouse/child) while working, not allowing them have opne relationship with locals, not driving. Ask any doctors if they have a copy of their contract that they sign with CUba government, or contract with local employers. They dont have it, also they hold their passports, and they never get the work permit stamp (or temporary residency extension) on time, making them having gaps intentionally, so they cant apply for residency benefits after being here over 4 years.
If they decided not to continue working under those contract, Cuba government denied return to Cube for 8 years.
We know this facts, they are salves and WOW we always talking about salvery, and we are supporting a modern slavery scheme.. None of our Caribbean citizens will work under the labor conditions those Cuban doctors are working over here.
Im Cuban so dont try to argue about something that i suffer myself. Dont be brainwashed about Cuban goverment.. we are slaves workers over there
[email protected] an interesting PERSPECTIVE.
CARICOM COUNTRIES LEADERS are a BUNCH OF CLOSET COMMUNISTS have no empathy for the suffering the people of CUBA and VENEZUELA are experiencing.There are FINANCIAL, ECONOMIC,and TRADE EMBARGO SANCTIONS IMPOSED by the U.S GOVERNMENT on VENEZUELA and CUBA.CUBA is also on the U.S LIST of STATE SPONSOR of TERROISM.CARICOM SUPPORTS OPPRESSING and EXPLOITING THE CUBAN AND VENEZUELAN CITIZENS as SLAVE LABOUR FOR THEIR EXTRAVAGANT LIFE STYLE LIVING IN BIG HOUSES AND DRIVING AROUND IN BIG MOTOR CARS.UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS A SOVEREIGN COUNTRY and have a DEMOCRATIC RIGHT to IMPLEMENT ECONOMIC POLICIES and NATIONAL SECURITY LAWS TO PROTECT THEIR CITIZENS.
BELIZE is a MEMBER of CARICOM that supports HAMAS,HISBOLLAH,HOUTHIS,and IRAN the AXIS of TERROISM by SUSPENDING DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS with ISRAEL and WITHDRAWN its ACCREDATION for ISRAEL’S AMBASSADOR in RESPONSE to the ONGOING WAR AGAINST HAMAS in GAZA.
CARICOM have no INTENTIONS of SEVERING RELATIONS with the CUBAN DOCTORS and NURSES.NOTE:ARTICLE ANTIGUA NEWSROOM DATED APRIL 11 2025.ANTIGUA GOVERNMENT REJECTS PRESSURE TO CUT TIES WITH VENEZUELA,CITES SOVEREIGNTY.
ALSO NOTE: ARTICLE in ANTIGUA NEWSROOM MARCH 13 2025 PM MOTTLEY PREPARED TO HAVE U.S VISA REVOKED OVER CUBA HEALTH PROGRAMME.
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