Finance Minister Dennis Cornwall has become the first Grenadian government official to face direct action from the United States in connection with its stance on the Cuban medical brigade program. According to high-level sources cited by The New Today, the U.S. government under President Donald Trump has revoked all three of Cornwall’s U.S. visas—B1, B2, and A1.
The same sources confirmed that the U.S. also withdrew the visa of Cornwall’s estranged wife, Ophelia Cornwall. The government of Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell has reportedly been officially notified of the revocations.
Minister Cornwall, who represents the St Patrick East constituency and studied in Cuba during the 1980s under the People’s Revolutionary Government, publicly stated in Parliament that he was willing to lose his U.S. visa in order to stand in solidarity with Cuba on the medical brigade issue. Foreign Minister Joseph Andall, also a former student in Cuba, has expressed similar views.
The visa revocation prevents Cornwall from traveling to the United States for official duties, including attending meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
The U.S. has accused Cuba and its partner governments in Latin America, Africa, and the Caribbean of participating in what it describes as a “forced labour” scheme involving Cuban medical personnel. While The New Today reports that Grenada may be paying 65% of the doctors’ salaries directly to the Cuban government in U.S. currency, this claim has not been independently confirmed.
In response to Washington’s actions, several Caribbean governments are reportedly in talks with Cuba to revise the terms of their medical cooperation agreements.
No official statement has yet been issued by the Grenadian Congress administration regarding the U.S. decision.
The U.S. embargo against Cuba has been in place since 1960, following the overthrow of the Batista regime by Fidel Castro and his revolutionary forces.