In other foreign affairs news, the Government of Belize continues to weigh the delicate matter of the Cuban medical brigade in Belize. The Ministry of Health confirms that presently there are 37 Medical doctors, 47 nurses, 8 technicians and two administrators - for a total of 94.
Pull them out of the system and there are sure to be shocks to public healthcare - especially in rural areas.
The US State Department - who has characterized the medical brigades as a "coercive labor export scheme" and is reportedly pressuring the government to send the Cuban doctors home.
Fonseca says that they are still trying to work something out to get the Cubans to stay:
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs
"No as I think I reported the last time we spoke that what cabinet had instructed was that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs work along with the Ministry of Health and Wellness to look at different options that may be available. Of course, our objectives is to maintain the Cuban doctors in Belize we have about 92 medical professional under the program. 45 of them are medical doctors they play a very critical role in our health system, especially in rural communities. So we want to work and find a way of maintaining their presence in Belize so we are working, the ministry of health as I said and foreign affairs we are working on a plan and we are also in discussions with the cuban government to see what options may be acceptable to them in terms of how we move forward"
Reporter:
"Are we looking at some legal arrangement for those in Belize to remain here?"
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs
"Well again as I said we are looking at a number of options that ministry of health and wellness along with foreign affairs we are looking at and we are discussing those options with the Cuban government. As you know we had an agreement and that agreement expired so it is in the context of some new arrangement, some new agreement that we are discussing these options and our objective is that hopefully that we can keep there presence here in Belize."
