Nothing like this situation has occurred before.

For more than a century, Jamaica and Cuba have maintained a long history of labour cooperation. In fact, long before Jamaica ever recruited workers from Cuba, it was Cuba that invited Jamaican labourers to work in its sugar industry. In the early 1900s, hundreds of Jamaicans migrated to Cuba to cut cane and work on farms during the harvest seasons.

That relationship later evolved in the opposite direction.

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Many Jamaicans are asking a practical question: if the United States is encouraging Caribbean countries to reduce their reliance on Cuban healthcare workers, will there be support to help fill the gap those doctors leave behind?

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When overseas farm work opened up in the late 1960s in Canada and other countries, large numbers of Jamaicans left the island to participate in those seasonal programmes. Their departure created gaps in Jamaica’s agricultural labour force. It was during this period, under the leadership of Prime Minister Hugh Shearer, that Jamaica invited Cuban workers to help fill those shortages in the agricultural sector.

After Michael Manley won the 1972 election, the relationship with Cuba expanded significantly. His administration invited Cuban professionals — including healthcare workers, teachers, engineers, and technical personnel — to help address several national shortages.

The organized arrival of Cuban doctors, nurses, and medical technicians began around 1976–1977.

At the time, Manley’s government had launched major social reforms aimed at expanding access to healthcare for poorer Jamaicans. However, Jamaica faced a serious shortage of doctors. Rural areas often lacked consistent medical services, and the country had limited specialized medical training capacity. To address these gaps, Jamaica entered into cooperation agreements with Cuba.

Those agreements have remained in place for approximately fifty years — until this past week, when Jamaica chose not to renew the existing arrangement.

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When The U.S. Visa Is Worth More Than Life Or Death

As a result, starting January 2026, several Caribbean nations that once resisted the American pressure have folded when it comes to the Cuban doctors.

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