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Cuba accuses U.S. of attacking island's medical missions abroad

From El Nacional · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Cuba's foreign minister accused the United States of manipulating and threatening the island's medical missions abroad.
  • The U.S. has pressured several countries to suspend medical cooperation with Cuba, while human rights groups have reported labor and mobility violations for Cuban medical professionals.
  • Despite criticisms, these missions provide essential services in vulnerable populations and generate significant revenue for Cuba, though critics claim Havana retains most of the earnings.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez accused the United States on Saturday of "insisting on manipulating the solidarity work" of the island's medical brigades abroad, coinciding with the 63rd anniversary of the start of these missions. Rodríguez stated on social media that the U.S. government "threatens recipient states" but reiterated Cuba's commitment to its medical cooperation.

When the government of the United States insists on manipulating the solidarity and humanist work of our cooperators, and threatens recipient States, we reiterate our commitment to maintain our medical cooperation and support those who bet on health as a right for all people.

— Bruno RodríguezCuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez's statement on social media regarding U.S. actions against Cuban medical missions.

The first Cuban medical brigade arrived in Algeria on this day in 1963. Since then, according to official data, these programs have sent over 600,000 professionals to 165 countries, as reported by EFE news agency. The anniversary marks Cuba's "solidarity commitment with social justice and the health of the world's peoples."

the 63rd anniversary of the start of Cuban medical collaboration

— Bruno RodríguezCuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez commemorating the anniversary of the medical missions.

However, these missions have faced scrutiny. The Trump administration's policies led several nations, including Honduras, Guatemala, and Jamaica, to suspend medical cooperation with Cuba under U.S. pressure. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has also denounced structural "violations" of labor, union, and human mobility rights for Cuban medical professionals abroad.

vulnerations of a structural nature of labor, union, and human mobility rights

— Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)The IACHR's denunciation of labor and mobility issues faced by Cuban medical professionals abroad.

Despite these criticisms, the IACHR acknowledges the vital role of Cuban health personnel in providing essential services to vulnerable populations and supporting health systems where medical attention is limited. While doctors earn better salaries in dollars than they would in Cuba, and the government generates foreign currency, NGOs like Prisoners Defenders allege that Havana retains approximately 85% of payments from host countries, confiscates passports, and penalizes those who leave missions early. The U.S. State Department's 2024 human trafficking report estimates Cuba's revenue from professional services exports at $6 to $8 billion.

contributes to the strengthening of their public systems in contexts where medical care is limited or insufficient

— Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)The IACHR's acknowledgment of the importance of Cuban medical missions.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Nacional in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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