A 2019 memo from the Trump administration, obtained by Politico, detailed a multi-agency strategy to pressure countries to end their participation in Cuba's overseas medical missions program. The document, titled "Memorandum on the United States Government Strategy to End the Cuban Medical Missions Program," outlined diplomatic and financial pressure tactics.
The strategy involved the State Department, USAID, and the Department of Health and Human Services. It aimed to encourage countries to terminate contracts with Cuba and to offer alternative medical assistance or support for doctors who chose to defect from the program. The U.S. has long criticized the program, alleging it exploits doctors and is a source of revenue for the Cuban government.
The Cuban government maintains that its medical missions are a form of humanitarian solidarity. The program, which began in the 1960s, has deployed thousands of healthcare professionals worldwide, particularly during health crises. The Trump administration's actions represented a significant escalation in U.S. efforts to dismantle the program, a policy that has seen continuity in subsequent years.
