Bahamas to pay Cuban doctors directly amid US scrutiny

The Bahamas government has announced it will begin paying Cuban healthcare workers directly for their services in the country, a move aimed at addressing concerns raised by the United States about possible forced labor practices within Cuba’s medical mission

Prime Minister Philip Davis revealed the policy shift following his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, D.C., earlier this week. The meeting comes amid heightened scrutiny from the U.S., particularly from Rubio, a longtime critic of Cuba’s international medical programs, which he has described as “modern-day slavery.”

“We were able to say to them, and I think they were satisfied that we are not engaged in forced labor that we are aware of,” Davis told reporters during a press conference at the Diplomatic Lounge at Lynden Pindling International Airport upon his return to Nassau.

He added that his government is proactively reviewing the structure of its agreements with Cuba to identify any potential indicators of forced labor. “If we discover that, that will be corrected,” he stated.

Among the “ingredients” of forced labor being assessed are the sharing of salaries with a foreign government and the withholding of workers’ passports — both of which are present in current Cuban labor arrangements. Prime Minister Davis acknowledged that such practices “could be perceived” as problematic, even if historically accepted.