Belize’s Long‑Time Medical Partnership with Cuba at Crossroads

Tonight, uncertainty persists around the future of Belize’s Cuban Medical Brigade, as regional shifts and quiet negotiations raise new questions about a partnership Belize has relied on for decades. Across Latin America, governments are scaling back their use of Cuban doctors, moves widely seen as reactions to mounting U.S. pressure, and now Belizean officials have gone unusually silent. When we pressed the Prime Minister for answers, he would only say that “delicate negotiations” are underway, offering no details on who’s at the table or what changes might be coming. All this unfolds as Cuba faces a rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis, adding even more weight to whatever decisions lie ahead.

 

Paul Lopez

“What can you tell about discussions surrounding the Cuban Medical Brigade at this point in time?”

 

On the Phone: Prime Minister John Briceño

“I think we are going through some very delicate negotiations at this moment, and I am not in a position to comment.”

 

Paul Lopez

“Who is involved in those negotiations?”

 

On the Phone: Prime Minister John Briceño

“I am not in a position to comment on this at this moment.”

 

With the Prime Minister keeping quiet, Belizeans now wait to see whether these “delicate negotiations” will change the country’s long‑standing dependence on Cuban doctors as Cuba’s crisis deepens.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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