Havana, September 30 (RHC)-- The U.S. Department of State announced Monday it is imposing visa restrictions on Cuban officials linked to the island's international medical cooperation program.

Donald Trump's administration, which for months has been attacking one of the most important solidarity programs in the Caribbean country, justified the measure by arguing that the officials, who are not mentioned by name, are responsible for 'certain exploitative and coercive labor practices'.

Despite the worldwide recognition of the work performed by Cuban health professionals in the most varied geographies of the world and their voluntary nature, the State Department mentioned in a statement, without providing any evidence, that participants in these missions work long hours without rest, meager wages and unsafe housing.

Through that statement, the federal entity called a program praised by international organizations 'fundamentally flawed' and called on the nations with which the island cooperates to ensure safeguards against what Washington refers to as alleged 'labor abuse and exploitation.

Late last July, the State Department reported for the first time that it would impose visa restrictions against Cuban officials related to health cooperation abroad, an action that, it said at the time, could also affect members of those people's immediate family.

Meanwhile, last month, the U.S. Agency for International Development announced that it was offering up to three million dollars to organizations that 'would investigate, collect and analyze information' related to alleged violations of the human rights of Cuban health personnel working abroad.