• • • St Lucia Government officials welcomes US embassy Barbados, Media Advisory

• • • US Policy within the United States’ “third border” and “Western Hemisphere.”

• • • Government to take a proactive approach to protecting the island’s healthcare system

By Caribbean News Global 

CASTRIES, St Lucia – Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre of Saint Lucia recently advised that the new geopolitical situation, ongoing in the Caribbean, particularly towards Cuba, has changed the human and capital resource capability of the country; meanwhile, exploring alternative international partnerships and avenues to strengthen the island’s human and capital resources.

On February 4, 2026, the US Embassy of Bridgetown, Barbados, affirmed its international education and Cuba’s overseas medical missions program on St Lucia, stating:

“The United States has not recently talked to Saint Lucia about international education and respects countries’ sovereign decisions regarding the education of their citizens. The United States continues to call for an end to exploitation and forced labor in the illegitimate Cuban regime’s overseas medical missions program.”

A careful reading and deliberation of US policy goes a long way towards understanding the present. The US Agency Strategic Plan sets forth the vision and direction for how the Department will implement US foreign policy and foreign assistance. This clearly states US policy operating within the United States’ “third border” and “Western Hemisphere.”

Capital constrains

Saint Lucia is currently sourcing human and capital resources (medical and operational components) while putting the finishing touches on the 2026/2027 budget, said sources familiar with the education, health and foreign affairs, not authorised to comment publicly, however, noted that the “ Saint Lucia government officials welcome the US Media Advisory,” adding “ the advisory offers clarity on next steps and provides futher options to pivot in the diplomatic, policy and governance framework moving forward.”

Caribbean islands are repositioning and diversifying their medical training, education and scholarship portfolio. Saint Lucia is no different, while in the midst of commissioning St Jude hospital to serve the healthcare needs of approximately 50 thousand people annually. The government requires operational capital averaging XCD 40-50 million to operationalise St Jude hospital. This capital project is currently not available, in addition to allocations to newly built police and fire service buildings, wellness centres and the Water and Sewage Company, Inc., infrastructure requirements.

Taxes are a vexing issue to which the 2.5 percent Health and Security Levy contributions are insufficient in volume of XCD40 – 45 million annually.

“Saint Lucia’s tax-to-GDP ratio in 2023 (20.8%) was below the LAC average (21.3%) in this year’s Revenue Statistics in Latin America and the Caribbean publication by 0.5 percentage points, and below the OECD average (33.9%), the OECD reports.

The article “St Lucia’s VAT collection – a continuous challenge,” further discusses the challenges in the collection of Value Added Tax (VAT).

Diplomatic access

Cuba’s diplomatic, social and economic relationship with Saint Lucia dates back to 1979, commencing under the stewardship of Sir John Compton. Cuba has contributed to the medical, social, cultural and infrastructure development of Saint Lucia.

The matter at hand, functional to “not recently talked,” has merit, in the continuance of diplomatic engagements, public discussions and as documented in magazines, journals and newspaper articles for the better part of 2025.

Related Links:

US expands visa restrictions for individuals exploiting Cuban export program

The underlying issues at hand

CNG requested comments from official sources notes:

“There are two underlying issues at hand, including ongoing negotiations on options for resolution:

“First, the matter of Saint Lucian students currently studying in Cuba and the issuance of new scholarships towards the human capacity development of the country, primarily in healthcare. The Secondary component links to the first, that of the Cuban Medical Health Brigade, the Cuban eye care programme, staffing our hospitals – the backbone of the primary care component of much-deeded healthcare for the people.

“Taken together, these subject matters have relevance to the education of Saint Lucian students in Cuba (medical, engineering, construction, etc.). Moving forward, the probability of family members’ additional resource allocation for students studying in Cuba has financial implications. Consideration must be given to the broader aspect of these developments and the potential for additional revenue to complement Saint Lucia’s national development.”

The problems are real! There are issues! There are concerns that the American government has!

The government of Saint Lucia has given the assurance to protect the island’s healthcare system, says Prime Minister Pierre, arising from comments last week and in parliament on Tuesday, restated the medical personnel and capital deficit of the country, and its effects on the operational capacity requirements for St Jude hospital. Equally, the government of Saint Lucia has expressed serious concerns about the ongoing implications for the island’s health services.

Critical paths

If the Cuban medical brigade can no longer come to Saint Lucia, and should Saint Lucians not benefit from educational scholarships from Cuba, the human and capital development of Saint Lucia is seriously jeopardised.

The Saudi Fund for Development is currently assisting Saint Lucia’s health care. However, closer to home, what are the options for small island developing states within the United States’ “third border” and “Western Hemisphere”?

Agency Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2026-2030 US Department of State – Objective 6.2, reads in part:

“… Developing nations want help fostering self-reliant growth, not assistance programs designed to create reliance on multilateral institutions and global non-profits.

This simple truth ought to be reflected in our developmentally oriented foreign assistance programs. Our America First foreign assistance strategy will leverage assistance resources to champion American enterprise and infrastructure.

We will make investments in exporting cutting-edge American technology—especially in healthcare, communications, software, energy, and transportation—that will bring developing nations into the 21st-century economy and solve local humanitarian, governance, and economic problems all around the world. And we will secure local buy-in, catalyse private capital, and ensure that development projects benefit from the discipline of market principles.”

Beyond the headwinds

Saint Lucia continues to look forward to strengthening its diplomatic relations with the United States of America for the benefit of our people, says Prime Minister Pierre.

Since Saint Lucia’s independence in 1979, the United States and Saint Lucia have a cooperative relationship that supports efforts to expand its economic base and improve the lives of its citizens. Saint Lucia has cooperated and continues to cooperate with the United States on security concerns and shared interests in combating international crime and narcotics trafficking. The US and Saint Lucia have various bilateral treaties, a maritime law enforcement agreement, a mutual legal assistance treaty, and an extradition treaty.

The United States is Saint Lucia’s leading tourism market.

Amid the imminent “collapse” of the health sector with the departure of Cuban medical personnel, it will become impossible for Saint Lucia to service the medical needs of US, UK, EU and Canadian tourists on the island. The tourism marketplace, lives, livelihoods, and health care are human rights that should be preserved.

In recent times, the US has taken on a greater responsibility in the Western Hemisphere for the Caribbean’s stability, security, and economic governance, and now offers precision in medical positioning.

General Colin Powell, military doctrine in the run-up to the 1990–1991 Gulf War – cites – “If you break it, you own it”!