KINGSTON, Jamaica – Foreign Affairs Minister Kamala Johnson Smith says no signs of human trafficking were found in the Cuban medical cooperation program.
Kamina Johnson SmithSpeaking on Thursday, Johnson Smith said this was the outcome of a review that was conducted long before any international scrutiny surfaced .
“While a review process was progressing well and there could be administrative improvements Kingston was “confident in the integrity of this program,” said Johnson Smith of the 50-year-strong medical mission partnership between Jamaica and Cuba.
“We continue to engage diplomatically, including discussions with the Cuban foreign minister, the current head of the US Embassy and of course between Caricom foreign ministers, to exchange perspectives and ensure the best understanding and outcomes of this matter,” the minister said.
Her statement on Thursday came days after United States President Donald Trump threatened to cancel the visas of any government officials as well as their immediate family members from countries still partnering with Cuba for their medical missions program.
The president had alleged that the program facilitated the exploitation of Cuban medical personnel.
Jamaica’s non-adversarial handling of this matter reflects not only our practice of diplomacy but the strength of our bilateral relationships with both Cuba and the United States,” Johnson Smith said.
Several Caribbean leaders have taken a far firmer stance to the threats from the Trump Administration with Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Keith Rowley, then-Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, indicating their readiness to cast away their US visas to support the longstanding medical program. Thousands of Cuban nurses provide critical care across the Caribbean including in Jamaica, and have been for years.
In Jamaica, that partnership goes back to 1976 and while the memorandum of understanding is being reviewed for renewal, Johnson-Smith has expressed her confidence in it.
“Given the MOU’s expiration last year, we had already begun a review process before international concerns were raised. While we have identified a few areas for alignment with our own overseas labor programs, we are confident that the Cuban program is a legitimate bilateral cooperation program, not an example of trafficking,” Johnson Smith said.
She defended the government’s diplomatic approach as one that had “generally led to constructive engagement and productive outcomes on challenging issues.”
