The institution claims that specialists were practicing without the required qualifications and are seeking help from the United States for the investigation.
14ymedio, Havana, March 26, 2026 / The Public Ministry (MP) of Guatemala is investigating more than 60 complaints against Cuban doctors, related to impersonation of professional qualifications, failure to meet legal requirements, and public safety.
“There are complaints filed against Cuban doctors in Guatemala, of various circumstances, from crimes committed by them individually to situations related to the performance of their duties in Guatemala,” stated the Secretary General of the MP, Ángel Arnoldo Pineda.
According to Pineda, the investigation carried out by the prosecutor’s office analyzes the proportion of healthcare specialists sent by the Cuban Government and indicates that only 3 out of every 10 Cubans sent were doctors.
“If one numerically analyzes 100% of the people designated by the Cuban regime to provide that medical support in different countries, it is mentioned that only 20% or 30% of the people who come are actually doctors, and the rest impersonate doctors and perform other functions,” the secretary noted.
It would be unfortunate that over time people might be receiving medical care without even having the professional capacity to provide it
The statement is based on the fact that the documents certifying the specialists were supposed to be endorsed by state agencies, such as the Ministry of Health.
The Secretary General added that in the last year the number of Cubans arriving in Guatemala increased, and the investigations are focused on determining what functions these supposed foreign doctors were performing in the country.
“It would be unfortunate, let’s say, that over time people might be delivering medical care without even having the professional capacity to provide it,” he stated.
Pineda also claims that the ministry has requested support from the U.S. government to assist in that investigation “because we have information, in terms of information-sharing on investigations, that this is happening in several countries in Latin America.”
Last January, the Government of Guatemala chose not to renew the contracts of the Cuban medical brigades, thus initiating a gradual withdrawal of their presence in the country. It followed the steps of other countries in the region such as Honduras, Jamaica, or the Bahamas, under pressure from the government of Donald Trump, which considers the Cuban missions “forced labor.”
The decision has sparked controversy and skepticism among Guatemalan medical opinion. Specialists have told the newspaper Prensa Libre that they doubt the Ministry of Health will be able to hire healthcare workers to replace the Cuban doctors, not only because of salaries and working conditions in the public health system but also because there is a shortage of specialists in various branches of medicine in the country.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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