The Government of Grenada has acknowledged the new U.S. visa restrictions targeting government officials, emphasizing that diplomatic channels are being engaged to address the matter.
In a statement released Thursday, the government said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is actively communicating with U.S. authorities. “We assure Grenada’s people that your government is handling this situation with the greatest responsibility and in the interests of our country,” the statement read. The ministry also indicated that it will provide updates as needed.
The U.S. State Department announced Wednesday that visa restrictions had been imposed on officials from Grenada, Africa, and Cuba. The measure follows Grenada’s foreign and finance ministers declaring their willingness to give up U.S. visas in support of Cubans earlier this year.
According to the State Department’s Office of the Spokesperson, “Today the Department of State took measures to impose visa restriction on African, Cuban and Grenadian officials and their families for their complicity with the Cuban regime’s Medical Mission Scheme in which medical professionals were ‘rented’ out by other countries for high prices, and the Cuban authorities kept most of the revenue.”
The statement described the medical professionals as slaves, asserting that “this scheme enriches the corrupt Cuban government while depriving Cubans of essential medical care.” It urged governments to pay the doctors directly rather than the Cuban authorities. The statement added that the United States seeks to support Cubans in their pursuit of dignity and freedom, and to promote accountability for those responsible for their exploitation. “We call on all nations who support democracy and human right to join us in our effort to confront Cuba’s abuses, and stand with the Cuban People.”
Finance Minister Dennis Cornwall, a former graduate of a Cuban university, said in March that he and other officials were willing to give up their U.S. visas to support Cubans. Speaking on the weekly Wednesday Government Hour on the Grenada Broadcasting Network, Cornwall said, “I always believe that you have to put people before your political self. In that sense, I think that my government has already seen that we are willing to go to extremes to ensure that our people are safe. If that means we have to give our visa rights up to the US in order to ensure that Grenada is one of the countries who support Grenada through thick and thin, then so be it.”
Cornwall added, “I am one of those who graduated from Cuba…and I have a duty to support Cubans in any way that I can. If the US Government has to remove our visas for supporting the Cuban initiative then so be it.”
The State Department noted that “this expanded policy applies to all individuals, including foreign officials, who are believed responsible or involved in the Cuban labor export programme, especially Cuba’s overseas missions.”
Cornwall previously stressed that ending the Cuban medical mission would significantly harm Grenada’s healthcare system. He emphasized that Cuban doctors and nurses have provided invaluable public service over the years.
In mid-March, while addressing the 2025 budget, Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Andall, also a Cuban graduate, said that Grenada has a moral, legal, and ethical obligation to stand with the Cuban people. He cautioned that the country must avoid being transactional or opportunistic in its approach to bilateral relations.
