US secretary of state to meet with Ja gov’t officials next week
Published:Sunday | March 23, 2025 | 10:05 PM
United States Secretary of States Marco Rubio is set to visit Jamaica in the coming days, weeks after threatening visa revocations for CARICOM states that fail to end their Cuban medical programmes.
A Gleaner source within the Washington Embassy confirmed Rubio’s visit but declined to comment further, noting that they were not authorised to speak on the matter.
The source did say, however, that Rubio is expected to meet with Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, among other government officials.
The US Department of State did not immediately respond to Gleaner queries about the visit.
Only Thursday, Johnson Smith asserted that Jamaica’s Cuban medical cooperation programme is “not an example of trafficking”, amid the US visa restrictions on officials from countries that engage Cuban healthcare workers.
Johnson Smith said a review of the programme was initiated before international scrutiny emerged and that improvements are being made to its administration.
Jamaica’s partnership with Cuba in healthcare dates back to 1976, providing critical support to local public health facilities through agreements upheld by successive administrations.
“Given the MOU’s (memorandum of understanding) expiration last year, we had already begun a review process before international concerns were raised,” Johnson Smith said in a statement issued on Thursday.
“While we have identified a few areas for alignment with our own overseas labour programmes, we are confident that the Cuban programme is a legitimate bilateral cooperation programme, not an example of trafficking.”
MEETING WITH CARIBBEAN LEADERS
Earlier this month, Rubio announced an expansion of the US-Cuba visa restriction policy to include foreign government officials and their families whose countries are involved in Cuba’s overseas medical mission programme.
Rubio, who is Cuban American, described Cuba’s overseas medical missions as an oppressive programme that enriches the Cuban government through the “exploitation and forced labour of Cuban workers”.
Several CARICOM heads of state have declared their commitment to the programme, stating that they are prepared to lose their visas to keep it active in their respective countries.
The Holness administration’s position remains unclear.
According to reports from the Miami Herald on Friday, Rubio will travel next week to the Caribbean as part of a three-nation tour where he will meet with leaders.
On Wednesday, the report said, Rubio is expected to travel to Jamaica, where he will be hosted by Holness for talks. He will then travel on to Guyana and Suriname, where he will meet with their respective presidents, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali and Chandrikapersad ‘Chan’ Santokhi.