The U.S. government has announced plans to revoke visas and impose restrictions on certain officials from Africa, the Caribbean, and Brazil, accusing them of involvement with a Cuban program that sends medical workers abroad.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the visa cancellations of Mozart Julio Tabosa Sales, an official from Brazil’s Ministry of Health, and Alberto Kleiman, a former official linked to a regional health organisation. Other affected individuals are from Africa, Cuba, and Grenada, though their names were not disclosed.

Cuba has strongly criticised the U.S. actions, calling them a pretext to undermine the country’s foreign currency earnings from medical missions. Caribbean leaders have also dismissed accusations that Cuba exploits its medical workers.

Johana Tablada, Cuba’s deputy director for U.S. affairs, emphasised on social media that Cuba’s medical cooperation will continue. She criticized the U.S. focus, accusing it of prioritizing other geopolitical interests over healthcare.

Under President Donald Trump’s administration, these visa restrictions are part of a broader effort to target the Cuban program, which has sent healthcare professionals worldwide since 1959. The initiative generates significant revenue for Cuba, which is currently facing economic difficulties.

The administration describes the program as one where medical workers are essentially “rented out” to other countries, with most of the earnings retained by Cuban authorities, limiting access to medical care for Cubans.

The U.S. government has pledged to take necessary actions to end what it calls forced labor within the program, urging foreign governments to pay doctors directly rather than routing funds through the Cuban government.

In addition to Brazil, restrictions were placed on officials connected to a regional health organisation, which the U.S. says facilitated the program while bypassing Brazilian legal requirements and evading sanctions.