FHRC Calls on U.S. State Department to Ensure Cuban Export Workers in the Bahamas Retain Their Full Earnings
Miami, FL – The Bahamian government has announced that it is canceling existing contracts with Cuban recruitment agencies and intends to transition to direct agreements with Cuban healthcare workers currently stationed in the country. This follows what Bahamian officials described as “fruitful negotiations” and occurs amid ongoing discussions with the U.S. government.
Speaking before Parliament, Minister of Health and Wellness Dr. Michael Darville stated:
“My ministry negotiated new contractual terms with the Cuban recruitment agencies and after fruitful negotiations, we are prepared to cancel all existing contractual agreements and enter into a direct contractual agreement with Cuban healthcare professionals currently in The Bahamas.”
“All further recruitment exercises of Cuban teachers and healthcare workers are currently on hold pending the outcome of the ongoing discussions between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our relevant counterparts in the United States.”
The Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba (FHRC) warns that this announcement—while notable—does not guarantee protection for Cuban export workers. In other countries where direct pay was promised, the Cuban government has continued to compel workers to remit the majority of their wages under threat of expulsion or retribution.
“There is no evidence yet that these direct contracts will result in full labor freedom for Cuban workers,” said Tony Costa, President of the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba. “We have seen this pattern before. Without enforceable protections, so-called reforms become cosmetic. The real test is whether these workers will keep their full earnings, maintain possession of their passports and documents, and be free from coercion by the Cuban regime.”
The Foundation calls on the U.S. State Department to take immediate steps to ensure that:
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Cuban workers receive 100% of their salaries into personal bank accounts with no mandatory remittance to the Cuban government;
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Employment contracts are independently reviewed and free of coercive or restrictive clauses;
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The Cuban state is barred from imposing post-payment deductions or informal remittance schemes;
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Host governments establish confidential mechanisms for Cuban workers to report abuse or coercion.
In addition, FHRC urges the Bahamian government to provide full transparency in the implementation of these contracts and ensure that workers’ rights are upheld in practice—not merely on paper. This includes safeguarding freedom of movement, protection from surveillance, and the right to refuse orders or repatriation without fear of reprisal.