The President of Guyana, Irfaan Ali, delivered a clear message on Tuesday to Cubans interested in working in that country: they must enter through legal channels and will be subject to the same labor regulations as Guyanese workers.
Ali made the statements during a press conference in Georgetown, when asked about relations with Cuba and the changes in the mechanisms through which Cuban professionals can work in Guyana.
"Those Cubans who want to work here must go through the legal channels and are hired under the same working conditions and laws that apply to our local workers," he stated, according to a report from News Room Guyana.
The official made it clear that the opportunity is not limited to the healthcare sector but extends to Cubans interested in legally working in other areas of the Guyanese economy.
His statements come after a significant change in the historic medical cooperation between the two countries. In early 2026, Cuba withdrew its medical brigade from Guyana, ending the governmental scheme through which professionals from the island provided services for decades.
The Guyanese Minister of Health, Frank Anthony, stated that it was Havana that decided to withdraw the personnel. Following this change, the Cuban professionals who wish to stay or return can be hired directly and receive their salaries according to the laws of Guyana, instead of doing so through agreements managed by the Cuban government.
The old mechanism of Cuban medical missions has faced strong international criticism due to the percentage of salaries withheld by Havana and the restrictions imposed on professionals.
Guyana and Cuba had renewed their healthcare cooperation in 2023. That year, Georgetown announced the hiring of 200 Cuban nurses for 2024, at a time when the country was seeking to enhance its healthcare capacity.
Guyana is increasingly attracting more Cubans
The message from Ali takes on special significance due to the growing interest of Cubans in Guyana, an economy transformed in recent years by the exploitation of its vast oil reserves.
The Guyanese government projects an economic growth of 16.2% in 2026, while sectors such as construction, engineering, hospitality, and services are increasingly demanding more workers.
Guyana has also become an important migration destination for citizens of the island. Data cited by Bloomberg indicates that 135,000 Cubans obtained legal status in Guyana in 2025, compared to just over 800 in 2020, reflecting the significant growth of Cuban migration to that country.
However, job opportunities coexist with stories of hardship. Cubans living in Guyana have reported long working hours, informal jobs, difficulties finding housing, and situations of violence.
Despite the end of the previous medical cooperation scheme, Ali assured that Guyana keeps the door open to continue working with Cuba in various fields and reiterated the importance of bilateral relations.
For Cubans interested in taking advantage of the job opportunities created by Guyana's economic growth, however, the president's message was unequivocal: hiring must be conducted legally and under the same labor regulations that apply to the country's workers.
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