Fonseca returns, favors audit, and Cuban doctors

Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade Minister Fonseca said he supports having “substantive ministers on leave” and “a proper audit… wherever it leads…”; and with the Cuban doctors, despite U.S demands, he will try “to find some reasonable, responsible middle ground.” 

By William Ysaguirre (Freelance Writer)

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. July 2, 2026

   Minister of Education, Culture, Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade, Hon. Francis Fonseca returned from two months sick leave on Wednesday, July 1; but even on his sick bed, he has kept his hand on the nation’s pulse, and said he approved of the public audit of the slew of payments under $10,000 without a contract.

   But with two doctors dying within the past month, he also acknowledged that Belize needs more doctors, and he’s not about to say goodbye to the Cuban medical brigade. He said he would seek a middle ground on this issue, despite pressure from the United States’ Secretary of State for the Cubans to be sent home.

   On the matter of irregular, piecemeal payments made by the Ministry of Defence, he said it was not for him to meddle in the day-to-day financial management within his ministry. “As the minister, my job is policy. My job is not to interfere in contracts and to interfere with the Finance Officer.

   “The only time we meet is when Budget time; when they say, listen, we need you to go to Cabinet and fight for our budget. And these are the priorities.”

   He admitted knowing what sized contracts need to go to public tender, and to be approved by Cabinet. “So … I’m aware of these thresholds. And, yes, I know that there’s some level of abuse that takes place, in the public service, with these thresholds.”

  Fonseca confirmed, “I certainly support the actions that have been taken so far. Placing these substantive ministers on leave, and then ensuring that a proper audit is done … That’s important. We have to make sure that the audit is done properly, that it’s a comprehensive audit. And wherever that leads, we have to allow it to go, wherever that leads … So, I support those actions. I think those are the appropriate actions at this stage. As more information becomes available, there may be a need for further action.” he concluded.

   The US State Department has typified the Cuban medical brigade as “forced labor”, and Fonseca recalled that when Cabinet considered the matter in March, “Cabinet directed for the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health and Wellness to work together for six months, to come up with options that could then be taken back to the Cabinet for a final decision on how we move forward with the program.”

   One option considered was to wind up the program, perhaps by establishing a permanent residence program that the Cubans would be comfortable with, which would also meet with the Americans’ approval. Could individual contracts be worked out? “So that’s the work that has been ongoing to devise this brief, this plan, with a number of options that will then be presented to Cabinet.” Fonseca admitted that this plan was shared with the U.S. Embassy staff in briefings with them. “That is one of the options, and they … support winding up the program. If we decide to go in that direction, they obviously would want us to do so.”

   The United States enforces its foreign policy against forced labour through targeted tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act, to penalize countries deemed complicit in forced labour supply chains. This might mean up to 10 – 12.5 percent additional tariffs imposed on countries which have failed to impose or enforce such import prohibitions. Belize has already been listed once.

   Fonseca admitted that he and the Prime Minister had discussed this issue with the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Secretary Landau, responsible for the Western Hemisphere, the last time they were in Washington. The Americans want the program ended, he acknowledged, “But I still think there are opportunities for us to find some reasonable, responsible middle ground.”