Marco Rubio. Photo: The Nassau Guardian

The announcement came months after the US State Department first threatened the action, claiming the missions are essentially forced labor because a significant portion of the workers’ salaries goes to the Cuban government.

“Today, the Department of State took steps to impose visa restrictions on several Central American government officials and their family members for their nexus to the Cuban regime’s forced labor scheme,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a press statement yesterday.

“The officials are responsible for Cuban medical mission programs that include elements of forced labor and the exploitation of Cuban workers.”

While Rubio did not name the affected Central American countries, he said the steps “promote accountability for those who support and perpetuate these exploitative practices”.

“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,” said Rubio.

The Bahamas is one of several Caribbean countries that rely on Cuban medical professionals to sustain the healthcare system.

Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis has maintained that The Bahamas is not engaged in forced labor.

However, a leaked contract between the government and Cuban workers purportedly shows that the government directed most of the money paid for the services of four Cuban health professionals to a Cuban government entity.

Davis and other Caribbean leaders met with Rubio last month to discuss the Trump administration’s concerns with the medical missions

Coming out of the meeting, Davis announced that the government was renegotiating its labor agreements with Cuba and will pay all foreign workers engaged with the government directly.