June 4 (UPI) -- The U.S. State Department has imposed visa restrictions on an unspecified number of Central American government officials accused of being involved in Cuba's medical mission program.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the punitive measure in a statement Tuesday, describing those targeted with the visa restrictions as "officials responsible for Cuban medical mission programs that include elements of forced labor and the exploitation of Cuban workers."
"These steps promote accountability for those who support and perpetuate these exploitative practices," Rubio said. "The Cuban labor export program abuses the participants, enriches the corrupt Cuban regime and deprives everyday Cubans of essential medical care that they desperately need in their homeland."
According to the State Department's 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report for Cuba, medical professionals comprise 75% of Cuba's exported workforce, generating $4.9 billion of its total $7 billion in service exports in 2022.
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