Jonas Urges Caribbean Leaders to Respond Strategically to U.S. Visa Revocation

Former Member of Parliament and Minister of Government Dean Jonas has cautioned Caribbean leaders to resist knee-jerk reactions to the recent revocation of Grenada Finance Minister Dennis Cornwall’s U.S. visa, warning that the matter requires strategy rather than outrage.

Jonas, in a statement issued on Friday, described the decision as “A warning, not a war,” urging regional governments to view the development within a broader and more complex context.

While acknowledging that Washington’s action may be seen as heavy-handed, he stressed that some of the concerns prompting U.S. scrutiny have come from Cuban doctors and nurses themselves, not simply from political adversaries.

“Let’s pause before we paint this as a simple U.S. bully move” Jonas said. “Maybe it is a bullying move, but we must recognize a more complex truth: many of the complaints about payments, raised in Washington or at the regional US embassies, are coming not from adversaries, but from the Cuban doctors and nurses themselves.”

For decades, Cuban medical brigades have been integral to healthcare delivery across the Caribbean, including in Antigua and Barbuda. Their role has often been celebrated, but Jonas argued that issues raised by the medical professionals regarding withheld salaries and unfair treatment deserve serious attention. He said regional leaders must acknowledge these realities while maintaining solidarity with Cuba and safeguarding access to critical healthcare services.

Jonas cautioned against casting every U.S. move as imperialism or reacting emotionally to Washington’s policies. Instead, he advocated a diplomatic approach that allows the region to engage constructively with both Cuba and the United States. He stressed that solidarity should never come at the expense of human rights and that the region’s healthcare partnerships must also ensure fairness and transparency for the professionals involved.

“Yes, the U.S. may be leveraging visas as political pressure, but we must not fall into a trap of reactionary rhetoric,” Jonas said. “Let’s stand by our healthcare partnerships, with our heads and hearts firmly engaged, drawing the line between solidarity and pragmatism.”