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The U.S. government confirmed on Wednesday that it denied visas to several officials from the Ministry of Public Health (Minsap) of Cuba who were planning to participate in a meeting of the Pan American Health Organization (OPS) in Washington, citing "national security" reasons.
A spokesperson for the Department of State responded in writing to an inquiry from the EFE agency that "the travel restrictions imposed on representatives of the Cuban dictatorship protect the national security interests of the United States."
However, they clarified that these restrictions did not affect representatives of the Cuban regime currently working at their embassy in the United States, who were indeed able to attend the event of the OPS.
The complaint was made on Tuesday by the Cuban government, which stated that Washington had denied the visas requested in Havana by a group of officials from the Minsap, as well as the necessary travel permits for other members of the delegation who were already in New York after participating in the UN General Assembly.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Bruno Rodríguez, shared statements from the First Deputy Minister of Minsap, Tania Margarita Cruz, who asserted that the U.S. "took advantage of the need for a travel permit to prevent" her participation in the regional meeting "as head of the Cuban delegation."
"It also prevented the participation of other members of the delegation who did not receive their visa in Havana," Cruz stated from New York.
In her statements, the official emphasized that “thousands of Cuban doctors and professionals have provided and continue to provide healthcare services in most countries in the region” and that “thousands of doctors, graduates, and health technicians have been trained in Cuba coming from Latin American and Caribbean nations, as well as from the United States.”
The current U.S. administration, led by Donald Trump, believes that the medical missions from Cuba represent "an undeniable case of forced labor" and keeps the country on its list of nations that do not meet the minimum standards for combating human trafficking.
Additionally, Washington has imposed visa restrictions on officials involved in the labor exploitation of Cuban workers abroad, a classification that includes those who organize or oversee these medical missions.
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