US Imposes Visa Restrictions on Grenadian Officials Over Cuban Medical Mission

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada – The Government of Grenada says it has taken note of the imposition of visa restrictions on government officials by the US government.

In a statement on Thursday the government said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is actively engaged with the authorities of the United States, through established diplomatic channels, in addressing this matter.  

“We assure the people of Grenada that your government is attending to this situation with the utmost responsibility and in the best interests of our nation. 

We urge the public to be guided by official information issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as we will provide further updates as appropriate.”

On Wednesday, five months after Grenada’s foreign and finance ministers declared they were willing to give up their US visa in support of the people of Cuba, the US State Department announced that it has imposed visa restrictions on government officials in Grenada, Africa and Cuba.

“Today, the Department of State took steps to impose visa restrictions on African, Cuban, and Grenadian government officials, and their family members, for their complicity in the Cuban regime’s medical mission scheme in which medical professionals are ‘rented’ by other countries at high prices and most of the revenue is kept by the Cuban authorities,” said a statement from the Office of the Spokesperson for the State Department.

The statement, which referred to the medical professionals as working for their slave masters, said, “This scheme enriches the corrupt Cuban regime while depriving the Cuban people of essential medical care.” “The United States continues to engage governments and will take action as needed to bring an end to such forced labour. We urge governments to pay the doctors directly for their services, not the regime slave masters.”

The statement said that the United States aims to support the Cuban people in their pursuit of freedom and dignity and promote accountability for those who perpetuate their exploitation. 

“We call on all nations that support democracy and human rights to join us in this effort to confront the Cuban regime’s abuses and stand with the Cuban people.”

On March 19, Finance Minister Dennis Cornwall said he and others in the Government were willing to give up their US visas in support of the people of Cuba because as a former graduate of a Cuban University he has a moral obligation and as a government minister he believes that the Cuban doctors and nurses in Grenada’s healthcare system are providing irreplaceable service.

“I always believe you have to put the people above one’s political self and, in that sense, I believe that my government has already sighted that we are prepared to go to the extreme to make sure to keep our people safe,” Cornwall said as a guest of the weekly Wednesday Government hour on the Grenada Broadcasting Network. “So, if it means that we have to give up our visa rights to the US to make sure that Grenada stands behind Cuba as one of the countries that support Grenada in thick and thin, so be it,” he added.

“I am personally one of the persons who graduated from Cuba…and as such, I have a moral obligation to support the Cubans in every way. So, if it means that the Government of the US have to take away our visas because we support the Cuban initiative, so be it,” he told the host who asked about the Government’s reaction to the recent announcement that the Trump Administration is expanding an existing Cuba-related visa restriction policy that targets forced labour linked to the Cuban labour export programme.

“This expanded policy applies to current or former Cuban government officials, and other individuals, including foreign government officials, who are believed to be responsible for, or involved in, the Cuban labour export programme, particularly Cuba’s overseas medical missions,” said the announcement posted on the State Department website.

At the time, Cornwall said that wrapping up the Cuban medical mission in Grenada would result in significant harm to the island’s healthcare system. “The Cuban doctors and nurses who have visited our shores over the years have performed a valuable service to our people,” he said.

While contributing to the 2025 budget debate in mid-March, Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Andall who is also a Cuban graduate, said that Grenada not only has a legal, moral and ethical obligation to stand by the people of Cuba, but the island should avoid being opportunistic or transactional as it pertains to the relations between both countries.