GEORGETOWN, Guyana — Cuba is preparing to withdraw its medical brigade from Guyana following a disagreement over how salaries for the programme’s doctors and nurses are paid. The dispute arose after the Guyanese Government proposed to pay the medical professionals directly instead of sending the funds to the Cuban Government.

According to a report by the Associated Press, Guyana’s Health Minister, Frank Anthony, said on Monday that Cuban authorities opted to end the programme after nearly 50 years and recently instructed the more than 200 doctors in the brigade to prepare to leave the South American country.

“We have been engaging the Cuban authorities and they chose to terminate or withdraw the Cuban doctors who were here,” Anthony was quoted as saying.

Despite the decision, Guyana has indicated that it remains open to hiring Cuban doctors who choose to stay in the country under individual employment contracts, the report said.

Guyana now joins several other countries from which Cuba is withdrawing its medical teams. Last week, the Government of Jamaica also announced plans to end its current arrangement with the Cuban Government for deploying medical professionals in the public health sector. It also cited a proposal to pay doctors directly, among other changes, in the failed discussions.

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Cuba’s health brigade programme has faced increasing scrutiny since the United States accused the Government in Havana of profiting from what it describes as the forced labour of medical personnel. Washington has argued that the programme charges high fees for Cuban doctors while most of the earnings go to the Cuban state rather than the workers, noting that it is “not a humanitarian gift”.

In 2025, the US had threatened to revoke or restrict visas from some African, Caribbean and Brazilian officials who Washington contended had ties to the Cuban medical programme.

Guyana and Cuba have maintained close relations for decades. In 2021, more than 60 Cuban doctors travelled to Guyana to help manage COVID-19 cases during the height of the pandemic. Cuba has also played a key role in training Guyanese medical professionals over the years.