By: Omar Silva

Editor /Publisher

www.nationalperspectivebz.com

Belize City: Monday, 17th March 2025

For decades, the United States has waged a relentless campaign against Cuba’s medical internationalism, branding its humanitarian outreach as forced labor and imposing sanctions under the guise of human rights concerns. The latest escalation of this policy—threatening visa revocations and diplomatic reprisals for nations that accept Cuban medical professionals—has sparked defiance among principled Caribbean leaders who refuse to bow to U.S. interventionism.

A Lifeline Under Attack

Cuba’s medical brigades have been a beacon of hope across the Caribbean, providing essential healthcare services where local capacities are strained. These doctors have filled critical gaps, particularly in rural and underserved areas, where access to specialized treatment is limited. Countries such as Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago have openly defended their partnerships with Cuba, denouncing Washington’s tactics as coercive and neocolonial.

Barbados' Prime Minister Mia Mottley has taken a firm stance, making it clear that her government’s decisions will not be dictated by foreign interests. Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has similarly dismissed U.S. pressure, emphasizing that his country will not compromise its healthcare system to appease external forces. Trinidad and Tobago’s Keith Rowley have stood in solidarity, declaring that the sovereignty of his nation remains non-negotiable.

The Fear-Driven Compliance of Belize

In stark contrast, Belize’s Prime Minister John Briceño has once again exposed his government’s spinelessness by opting to distance his administration from the Hague Group—a move widely seen as capitulation to U.S. demands. Rather than standing firm against interventionism, Belize’s government has taken the path of least resistance, prioritizing diplomatic appeasement over national interest.

The Briceno administration’s retreat from global solidarity is indicative of a larger problem: the willingness of weak governments to surrender their autonomy at the slightest sign of pressure from Washington. This talk-down approach by the U.S. instils fear in fragile leaderships, forcing them into compliance under the threat of visa bans and economic consequences.

Interventionism and Double Standards

The hypocrisy of U.S. foreign policy is glaring. While Washington parades itself as the champion of democracy and humanitarian values, it aggressively undermines programs that provide life-saving medical assistance to vulnerable populations. The same country that claims to advocate for human rights sees no contradiction in blocking access to healthcare for millions.

If the U.S. were genuinely concerned about labor rights, it would focus its scrutiny on exploitative practices within its own borders—such as the mistreatment of migrant farm workers or the exploitative labor conditions in multinational corporations. Instead, it chooses to target Cuba’s international medical missions, a program that has saved countless lives globally.

A Call for Caribbean Unity

The time has come for Caribbean nations to solidify their rejection of U.S. interventionist policies. The sovereignty of our nations must not be compromised to satisfy Washington’s ideological crusades. It is imperative that regional leaders take a unified stand, ensuring that diplomatic threats and economic blackmail do not dictate our foreign policy.

Caribbean nations must adopt a firm and unwavering position: our alliances are ours to choose. The Cuban medical missions have been an invaluable asset to our region, and any attempt to dismantle them under the pretext of political manoeuvring must be condemned outright.

Washington’s era of bullying Caribbean nations into submission must end. Leaders with integrity—like Mottley, Gonsalves, and Rowley—have demonstrated that standing up for sovereignty is not only possible but necessary. It is time for the rest of the region, Belize included, to shed their fear and embrace the principles of self-determination and regional solidarity.