U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has revoked or restricted visas on Wednesday, for certain officials from Africa, the Caribbean, and Brazil tied to Cuba’s overseas medical worker programme, citing concerns over forced labour and financial exploitation.
Brazilian Health Ministry official Mozart Julio Tabosa Sales and former Pan American Health Organisation official Alberto Kleiman were among those affected.
Rubio did not name other officials who were affected but said they were from Africa, Cuba and Grenada.
The U.S. claims that the programme rents Cuban medical professionals to other countries at high prices, with most of the revenue going to Cuban authorities, depriving Cuban citizens of healthcare. Rubio said Washington aims to end such practices and urged governments to pay doctors directly.
Cuba has condemned the move, calling it a pretext to attack its foreign currency income.
"Cuba's medical cooperation will continue," Johana Tablada, Cuba's deputy director of U.S. affairs, said on X.
Meanwhile, Brazilian officials defended their 'Mais Medicos' programme, created in 2013, saying they will not yield to what they call "unreasonable attacks."
The measures continue the Trump administration’s hard-line approach toward Cuba, reversing previous Biden-era policies.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's party is on course for victory, with Armenian media reporting that the country's Central Election Commission...
Iran says the first wave of attacks on Israel since April's ceasefire has ended, but warned of further strikes if Israel continues military action in ...
Uzbekistan and Russia have agreed to deepen cooperation in agriculture, energy and food security following high-level meetings held during the St Pete...
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that the U.S. would bear direct responsibility for any escalation in West Asia a...
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedric...
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's party is on course for victory, with Armenian media reporting that the country's Central Election Commission has completed the vote count in the parliamentary elections. An official announcement is still expected.
Uzbekistan and Russia have agreed to deepen cooperation in agriculture, energy and food security following high-level meetings held during the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2026.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that the U.S. would bear direct responsibility for any escalation in West Asia after Iran and Israel resumed strikes for the first time since the April ceasefire.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for high-level talks in Westminster focused on ending the war in Ukraine.
Counting is underway in Armenia's elections. The results of the vote are set to determine the political direction of the country of three million people for the next few years. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is hoping to fend off challenges from several pro-Russia candidates to secure a third term.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's party is on course for victory, with Armenian media reporting that the country's Central Election Commission has completed the vote count in the parliamentary elections. An official announcement is still expected.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the number of casualties its citizens suffered as a result of the 5 June drone attacks on the cargo ships Natra and Zircon in the Sea of Azov. In a statement, it said four Azerbaijani citizens were killed and four others were injured.
The results of Armenia’s parliamentary elections will determine the makeup of the National Assembly and shape the country's political direction for the foreseeable future. But in Armenia, the final result is not decided by vote percentages alone. Here's how it works.
For about three decades after the Soviet collapse, Armenia anchored its foreign and security policy to Moscow.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for high-level talks in Westminster focused on ending the war in Ukraine.
A French Rafale fighter jet shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace from Russia on Monday (8 June), triggering security alerts and renewing concerns about the impact of the war in Ukraine on NATO's eastern flank.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on Monday (8 June) for a rare summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, receiving a grand welcome as he described relations between the two countries as being at a "new historical starting point".
Football fans of all ages gathered in Miami Beach for a World Cup sticker trading event, exchanging duplicates and comparing Panini albums as they prepared for the tournament's opening match.
A city north of Tokyo has suspended classes at all 94 of its primary and middle schools after its first-ever reported bear sighting, amid growing concern over increasing encounters between bears and people across Japan.
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