March 1, 2026
Part of the Cuban medical brigade in Honduras, Photo: @Embacubahondura
The Cuban ambassador to Honduras, Juan Loforte, on Friday deplored a smear campaign in the corporate media and by officials against the Cuban medical brigade, attributing it to the “unhealthy discourse from the United States.” This week, the far-right government of Nasry Asfura announced the cancellation of the medical cooperation agreement with Cuba.
The decision to expel the Cuban doctors came from direct pressure from the Trump Administration as he has done to Guatemala, Paraguay, the Bahamas, Guyana, and Ecuador. This campaign does not take into account that in many cases the poor in these countries will be without medical clinics and doctors but is aimed, at all human costs, to isolate Cuba and than say it is a failed state.
Loforte expressed his “great sorrow” over the smear campaign launched against the mission, despite the fact that Cuban doctors have contributed to the health of the Honduran people for 25 years. The diplomat described the situation as “a smear campaign and lies against our dignified and self-sacrificing medical brigade” on his social media accounts. Laforte went on to highlight that Cuban doctors have provided more than 30 million consultations in Honduras, performed tens of thousands of surgical procedures and nearly 80,000 eye operations, while saving hundreds of lives.
The ambassador also explained that during those 25 years, Cuban doctors have provided more than 30 million consultations in Honduras, performed tens of thousands of surgical procedures and nearly 80,000 eye operations, saving hundreds of lives. He added that 1,640 Honduran doctors have been trained free of charge at Cuban universities, demonstrating the profound impact of this mission.
The Cuban diplomat denounced that this campaign is a response to the “unhealthy discourse of the United States.” He alluded to the strong pressure exerted by the Donald Trump administration on multiple nations to break the health cooperation agreements promoted by Havana.
The right wing, US dependent government of Honduras, led by the conservative Nasry Asfura, announced the end of the stay of more than 100 doctors who had been providing their services in the country for the last two years. The arrival of Cuban health professionals was part of a contract signed with Cuba by the then progressive executive of President Xiomara Castro.
Among other benefits, five free eye clinics for the most disadvantaged sectors of the population were set up in Honduras.
In another message, the head of the Cuban diplomatic mission referred to comments made by officials and deputies of Asfura’s right-wing National Party about the composition of the medical brigade. Loforte accused them of “using deception and lies” to turn “electromedical engineers into ‘electricians’; a microbiologist and a surgeon into ‘communicators’; and highly qualified specialists into ‘spies.’” However, Havana’s representative in Tegucigalpa stressed that “wherever they have been, they have been very loved.”
This statement is based on the displays of affection, solidarity, and support received by Cuban doctors in hospitals and health centers throughout Honduras.
For former Minister of Strategic Planning Ricardo Salgado, the spokespersons and congressmen of the so-called bipartisanship (National and Liberal parties) said, “today they want to muddy a sovereign relationship between two countries that brought relief to thousands of Hondurans who otherwise would never have seen a doctor.”
Salgado emphasized, in response to Loforte’s statements, that “that is fascism.” Through his social media profile, the former secretary of state in the Castro administration reported receiving threats from spokespeople for the two-party system “for having supported the arrival of these heroes in white coats.”
Salgado declared: “We always knew they would persecute us; what we have done for our people, we would do a hundred times more if necessary. Long live the solidarity of the peoples. To Cuba, our revolutionary love; brothers, we will always be with you.”
Libre Party caucus reaffirms gratitude for Cuban medical collaboration
Members of the Liberty and Refoundation Party (Libre) caucus in Honduras expressed their deep gratitude on Friday for Cuba’s extensive and long-standing medical collaboration with the country.
During a meeting with Cuban Ambassador Juan Loforte, Libre representatives in the National Congress thanked the Cuban government and people for their historic solidarity, which dates back to 1974, after Hurricane Fifi, strengthening bilateral ties between the two nations.
The legislators of the leftist group recognized, in particular, the invaluable work carried out over the last two years by the Cuban Medical Brigade in various regions of Honduras.
In addition, they expressed their firm support for Cuba in the face of the intensification of the prolonged blockade imposed by the United States, which has been exacerbated by recent measures taken by the Donald Trump administration. Representative Nidia Castillo, a member of Libre, highlighted on social media the significant contribution of Cuban doctors to public health during the previous Libre administration, led by former President Xiomara Castro.
Castillo highlighted successful programs such as the strengthening of visual health, with the opening of five ophthalmological clinics that performed “7,000 operations” (for cataracts and pterygium) on people with limited financial resources, as part of the so-called Operation Miracle.
He warned that it would be “painful for the Honduran people if all this important work were not continued… for political reasons,” stating that health is a human right.
Source: Telesur