US expands visa restrictions on Cubans tied to labor export program

The United States has expanded visa restrictions to target Cuban officials involved in a labor program sending Cuban workers, especially healthcare workers, overseas. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the restrictions aim to penalize those responsible for what he calls “forced labor.” The Cuban government’s health service generates significant earnings from sending workers worldwide, while ordinary Cubans lack medical care. The U.S. has already imposed restrictions on some individuals, including Venezuelans. Relations between the U.S. and Cuba have been tense since Fidel Castro’s revolution in 1959, with a trade embargo in place for decades.

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