Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre told reporters at a Cabinet press briefing on Monday morning that “no imminent withdrawal” of medical students from Cuba is set to take place.
Alarm arose after students became aware of remarks made by Pierre last week during the Second World Congress on Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. He voiced concerns over the continued effects of America’s embargo on Cuba, including its impact on medical scholarship programmes through which Caribbean nationals seek medical training to become doctors on the Spanish-speaking island.
“Many of our doctors got trained in Cuba, and now the great United States said we can’t do that any longer,” he said. “I have a major issue on my hands.”
The prime minister’s statement triggered widespread public reaction and concern for students in Cuba.
One Saint Lucian student, currently in his fifth year of study in Cuba, told St. Lucia Times: “I find myself in a state of heightened anxiety, caught between the political currents of the island and my personal academic future.”
Another doctor, currently self-funding his cardiology studies in Cuba and a former beneficiary of the medical scholarship programme, is calling for transparency from the Saint Lucian government. “The government hasn’t explained in full the circumstances with the US should they reject such demands,” he told St. Lucia Times. “Also, has the US put in place an alternative for Saint Lucian doctors to study and provide scholarships for them?”
Students said that they are awaiting a meeting with the Saint Lucian Embassy in Cuba.
Addressing reporters at the press briefing, Pierre said that there are no plans to withdraw enrolled students from programmes in Cuba. “The students, those who are in Cuba, will continue to be in Cuba,” he said. “There’s no imminent withdrawal of students.”
Addressing his remarks during last week’s congress, Pierre said his administration intends to remain proactive: “As you know, with the whole embargo—last week President Trump declared Cuba a threat to American security—so we’re just being proactive…”
He acknowledged Castries’s desire to remain on good terms with Washington while navigating geopolitical tensions as a small island nation. “We are friends with the American government, we have an excellent relationship with them, we have to protect our students [and] our health services. It will be a tremendous loss to us if Cuban doctors can no longer come to Saint Lucia.”
Alternative options to bolster healthcare in Saint Lucia are also being more closely considered, said Pierre. “Saint Lucia will be exploring different possibilities—Nigeria, Ghana, Mexico, Brazil—all these countries we’re going to be approaching them to see how they can support us if push really comes to shove… but the issue is now we have to prepare for the eventuality.”
The remarks by Pip during the Second World Congress on Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities were exactly as wished for by Trump & the US empire. The effect was to bolster US “street creds” in the face of the continued “arse-whupping” the US has suffered since the Korean conflict; their only face-saving victory was against Grenada in 1983. Trump’s (and the US’) current bullying efforts in the Caribbean region, the EU and the UK are meant to detract from the on-going military failures against Russia, China, Iran, and yes, Yemen!
Pip-squeak (pun intended) nations, professional mendicants & lap dogs having no sovereignty whatsoever, are the only ones running off at the mouth that the sky is falling.
Pip’s latest remarks at the cabinet press briefing is just an obvious act of pandering to the bully. He has only been allowed to say that “no imminent withdrawal” of medical students from Cuba is set to take place, on condition that he continues to grovel at Trump’s feet for visas. Grow a spine, man! You will soon become known around the world as the “Forest Gump” of St. Lucia; not it’s prime minister.