‘Human Trafficking On Any Level is Unacceptable’: US Ambassador Bauer

US Ambassador André Bauer says Washington’s concerns about human trafficking were central to its position on Belize’s longstanding Cuban Medical Brigade arrangement.

In an interview with News 5, Bauer explained that the United States objected to arrangements in which foreign governments could retain control over medical workers’ earnings and personal documents, rather than allowing professionals to receive fair compensation for their services.

“Well, the US, a big thing for them is human trafficking. They want people to have control over their own identity and their own domain,” Bauer said.

The US State Department’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report identified 105 Cuban regime-affiliated workers in Belize who may have been subjected to forced labour. It also warned that the former bilateral agreement left workers vulnerable to wage confiscation and arbitrary punishment.

 News 5 asked Bauer whether he believed the previous arrangement crossed into human trafficking; the ambassador reiterated Washington’s concerns about workers’ freedom and compensation. Bauer stopped short of explicitly declaring that the arrangement constituted trafficking.

“For the president and Secretary of State this was a big issue for them to make sure that human trafficking on any level is unacceptable,” Bauer told News 5. “We’re very pleased that Belize has tried to work with us on this, try to resolve this issue, and try to give these people that are providing a service that we desperately need that they are more free in doing so,” he said.

Belize announced last week that it would not renew its 36-year medical cooperation agreement with Cuba. Instead, Cuban doctors and other health professionals will be offered individual employment contracts to remain in the country.

Bauer also raised the possibility of expanding telehealth services to reduce healthcare costs and improve access to medical care.