US Trafficking Report Flags Cuban Doctors Deal as Belize Stays on Tier 2
Belize has remained on Tier 2 in the US State Department’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report. The report says the government does not fully meet the minimum standards for eliminating trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.
The report credits Belize with increasing funding for victim services, formalising a seasonal migrant workers programme to reduce trafficking risks, training law enforcement officials and diplomats, and continuing the prosecution of a case involving two officials in light of new evidence.
It also lists where Belize fell short. The report says the government identified fewer victims than in earlier periods and did not convict any traffickers. It says Belize also did not fund or operate shelters for adult victims, did not conduct labour inspections in high-risk workplaces, and did not take adequate measures to screen vulnerable populations for trafficking indicators.
According to the report, courts convicted no traffickers in the latest reporting period or the one before it. The government opened one forced labour investigation involving three perpetrators and prosecuted six suspects. The report says many cases do not reach trial because of long delays, defendants leaving the country, and intimidation and witness tampering.
The report says corruption and official complicity remain significant concerns. The government continued to investigate one police officer, and an earlier investigation into two high-ranking retired officials, a police officer and an immigration officer, was resubmitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions with new evidence. The report adds that NGOs say some police and immigration officers take bribes to ignore trafficking.
The government identified one labour trafficking victim, a foreign national girl, compared with 15 the year before. It assisted 13 victims and allocated BZ$550,000 (US$275,000) for victim services, up from BZ$400,000 (US$200,000).
The report also raises the issue of Cuban medical workers in Belize. It says there were 105 Cuban regime-affiliated workers in Belize whom the Cuban regime may have forced to work. It says Belize’s bilateral health cooperation agreement with Cuba keeps the regime as an intermediary and that Belizean authorities pay workers a stipend and the rest to the Cuban regime, leaving workers vulnerable to wage confiscation and arbitrary punishments. The report says the government’s screening of these workers for trafficking indicators was minimal and not fully effective.
The brigade has been the subject of negotiations between Belize and the United States. On October 1, Foreign Affairs CEO Oscar Arnold told Greater Belize Media that talks are nearing a resolution, though he would not disclose details. “There continues to be engagement at all levels between our governments. We believe there will be a resolution very soon. I can’t speak to the details yet.” Arnold said the government’s priority is to keep the health system running. “But for us, the Government of Belize, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Ministry of Health and Wellness, has always maintained that we will, of utmost priority, ensure that we have our medical system in place and that we have enough professionals to serve our population.”