United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned heads of government of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) about China and Cuba when he met with them on Tuesday in Washington DC.
Rubio told them they must make “responsible and transparent [decisions]” when it comes to China and reaffirmed the US’s commitment to hold Cuban and foreign government officials accountable for “forced labor schemes” including Cuba’s medical missions.
His warning on China could be interpreted as a swipe at Caribbean countries, including Dominica, which have had an increasingly cozy relationship with the Asian nation and underscores the US’s concerns over Chinese influence in the region.
“Secretary Rubio urged our partners to make responsible, transparent decisions when selecting vendors and contractors for critical infrastructure projects, ensuring they are not vulnerable to privacy and security risks and exploitation by malign actors like the Chinese Communist Party,” a release by State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
Rubio also doubled down on the US’s stance on holding Cuban and foreign government officials accountable for Cuba’s overseas medical missions.
“He also reaffirmed our commitment to holding accountable Cuban regime officials, foreign government officials, and those involved in facilitating the regime’s forced labor scheme, including Cuba’s medical missions,” the State Department’s release stated.
In March this year, the US decided to revoke the visas of foreign government officials whose countries employ Cuban doctors and nurses in Cuba’s overseas medical missions, which Rubio described as forced labor that benefits the Cuban communist regime.
The move was swiftly condemned by Caribbean leaders whose countries have benefited from Cuba’s medical missions for decades. Many said they would rather give up their US visas than have the missions ended.
At a press conference, also in March, Prime Minister of Dominica Roosevelt Skerrit said the medical missions are too important for Dominica to give up.
“In Dominica’s case the Cuban Healthcare Program is too crucial for survival of the healthcare system and the provision of care and treatment of all Dominicans for us to give it up,” he said. “We are not in a position to give it up…”
Other matters were also discussed during the meeting, according to the State Department’s release.
It said Rubio underscored “the urgent need for enhanced regional cooperation to combat drug and firearms trafficking and illegal migration – key drivers of violence and instability”.
He told the OECS leaders that they should strengthen intelligence-sharing, security cooperation, and border security through initiatives like the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative.
With the Atlantic Hurricane Season mere weeks away, Rubio also announced the reactivation of two US-administered programs to strengthen early warning systems and provide rapid, life-saving assistance across the Caribbean.
Participants in the meeting included Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda, Prime Minister Philip Davis of The Bahamas, Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre of Saint Lucia, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell of Grenada, and Prime Minister Terrance Drew of Saint Kitts and Nevis.