Guatemala Sends Cuban Doctors Home

The first group of Cuban doctors has left Guatemala after the government decided to phase out a decades‑old programme that placed hundreds of Cuban medical professionals in rural areas with limited health services.

Eight doctors departed this week following a farewell ceremony at the José Martí monument. In total, 93 members of the Cuban medical brigade are scheduled to leave in April, with another contingent expected in August.

The Cuban medical mission had been present in Guatemala since 1998, with 412 collaborators, including 333 doctors, working across the public health network. Nearly half were stationed in remote departments such as Quiché, Petén, and Alta Verapaz, where access to healthcare is most difficult.

The Ministry of Health confirmed that the government did not cover the cost of return tickets, despite being obligated under the agreement with Cuba. Instead, the Cuban embassy arranged with Guatemalan entrepreneurs to purchase the tickets, according to reports by the CiberCuba Editorial Team.

Guatemala’s decision is part of a broader regional shift driven in part by pressure from the United States. In 2025, the US State Department imposed visa restrictions on officials linked to Cuban medical missions, labelling them as forced labour schemes. Since then, Honduras, Jamaica, and Guyana have also ended their agreements, resulting in the withdrawal of hundreds of Cuban doctors.

Meanwhile, in Belize, the future of the Cuban medical brigade remains uncertain. Prime Minister John Briceño has said the government is engaged in “delicate negotiations” over the programme, which has long provided Cuban doctors to Belize’s public health system.