News · International
Belize ends its Cuban medical brigade agreement and will hire the 92 health workers one by one
The government of Belize announced on October 31 that it will not renew the Cuban Medical Brigade agreement, in place since 1990, and that it will sign individual employment contracts with each professional so they can keep working in the country.
The government of Belize said on October 31, 2026, that it will not renew its agreement with Cuba on the Medical Brigade programme, in force since 1990, and that the Ministry of Health and Wellness will "sign individual contracts of employment with each Cuban professional that will allow them to remain and work in Belize," according to its Press Office statement.
The mission is made up of 92 professionals: 45 doctors and another 47 workers, including nurses, technicians, radiologists and specialists, according to Periódico Cubano, which dated the release of the decision to Tuesday, November 3, 2026, and cited a statement from Belize's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Health Minister Kevin Bernard said he wanted to keep them, although each professional will have to decide whether to accept the new terms.
The decision weighs heavily in Toledo District, where 8 of the 16 available doctors are Cuban: a mass withdrawal would deepen the shortage of health staff in rural communities, as Belizean officials had warned earlier, according to Periódico Cubano.
Belize follows Jamaica, whose government cancelled its agreement in March after disagreements over salary payments and the holding of workers' passports. In October, Jamaica confirmed it had brought back 200 Cuban health workers under new hiring arrangements, including 157 who returned after the agreement broke down. Guyana has also changed its relationship with the brigades sent from the island.
The health cooperation model is under question from human rights organisations and from Washington, over allegations of salary withholding, restrictions on movement and possible forced labour practices. In April 2026, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights recommended reviewing cooperation agreements that could enable situations of exploitation. The Cuban government rejects the accusations and maintains that the missions are an expression of international solidarity.
Periódico Cubano notes that it has not been confirmed how much the workers will be paid or whether there will be later financial obligations to Cuba, and that Belize has not announced when the contracts will be signed or how many professionals will agree to stay.
Sources: Periódico Cubano · Oficina de Prensa del Gobierno de Belice
Data updated: 2026-11-09T04:15:00.000Z