MEXICO CITY, March 25 - Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Wednesday Mexico will maintain its agreement with Cuba over the presence of Cuban doctors in the country, after a handful of nearby countries pulled out of agreements amid pressure from the United States.
"We have a very good agreement that's also been a great help to us. It's a bilateral agreement that's been very beneficial for Mexico," President Sheinbaum said during her daily morning press conference.
Mexico has become a major host for Cuban medical personnel, with thousands of doctors and specialists deployed to the country since 2022 to work in underserved, rural, or high-crime areas and has previously defended the program.
The medical mission program is one of the largest single sources of foreign income for the Cuban government, which has said that other Latin American and Caribbean governments have done away with the program due to U.S. pressure.
Honduras, Guatemala, Jamaica and Guyana have announced the end of their agreements with Cuba under a program the U.S. says is exploitative - a claim rejected by host countries where rural communities rely on services provided by Cuban medics.
The Bahamas in June said it was preparing to cancel contracts with Cuban healthcare professionals after discussions with the U.S. government.
The announcement comes just as U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is pressuring countries to sever ties with Cuba's government, and has questioned Mexico over its own program for bringing Cuban doctors to the country.
Trump's administration has also expanded a visa restriction policy to target Cuban officials believed to be tied to a labor program that sends Cuban workers overseas.
(Reporting by Raul Cortes and Iñigo Alexander; Editing by Sarah Morland and Aida Pelaez-Fernandez)
