Cuban doctors detained in Mexico identified by order of a Health councilor

The two Cuban doctors who were arrested last Saturday in Ayotoxco de Guerrero, in the Mexican state of Puebla, by order of a health official, have been identified as Acelio José Sixto, surgeon; and Willian Blet Rodríguez, internist.

A local outlet detailed that around 9 in the morning on August 31, both doctors were communicating via video call with their family when "they were detained by the municipal police after a report deemed them suspicious."

Doctors were stripped of their cell phones, and authorities conducted a "review of their privacy despite them identifying themselves repeatedly," according to InfoSierra.

The note does not specify the time the Cuban doctors were detained, although it was previously reported that they were released after clarifying who they actually were.

The note states that the incident highlights the authorities' complete lack of knowledge about the situation of the community hospital in Ayotoxco.

According to a previously circulated video, the official "confused" the doctors "with criminals" and, supported by a patrol, took them to the Municipal Palace, where they were held without justification, although they were later released.

"The performance of the doctors has been very good," reported the complainant of the incident, who lamented the actions of the official - identified as María Luisa Suárez Reyes - whose behavior has been described as incomprehensible and arbitrary.

The detention of the doctors has raised concern among residents, who fear that the councilor's action will jeopardize the continuity of health services in the region.

"They are disappointed, they are scared," added the complainant in reference to the doctors, who emphasized that it is not right for them to be treated that way.

"We understand that they are in another country and that being treated this way is not correct. What is more reprehensible in this case is that it is precisely the Health councilor who commits this action [...] It is clear that the lady does not know them, does not know that these doctors arrived," he concluded.

The citizen who reported the incident expressed her concern for the well-being of the doctors and criticized the lack of involvement of the councilor in public health matters, while urging her to visit the hospital, understand its needs, and improve her performance as a public servant.

The two Cuban doctors who were victims of detention are part of a contingent of 2,700 Cuban specialists sent by the federal government, as part of an initiative by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) to meet the needs of 282 hospitals in rural and highly marginalized areas.

Cuban medical mission in Mexico on the rise

Amid the acute crisis in public health services in Cuba, those 2,700 doctors left their positions on the island to join nearly 1,000 Cuban professionals who were already providing assistance in Mexican territory.

As the shortage of doctors in Cuban hospitals grows, the government of Miguel Díaz-Canel increases the export of qualified medical personnel to Mexico and other countries as much as it can.

In many of those countries, Cuban doctors must confront the hostility of local health professionals, who reject their presence as they see them as competition or do not consider them qualified, as well as health officials, as in this case.

The elected president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, announced that she will continue hiring doctors from the island despite the strong criticism labeling the program as a form of financing for the Cuban dictatorial regime.

Sheinbaum revealed at the beginning of July that in a meeting with Chancellor Bruno Rodríguez, the possibility of continuing to bring Cuban doctors to Mexico was discussed, at least during the first year of her administration.

Meanwhile, voices in Mexico continue to question the government's decision to hire Cuban professionals without considering the equivalence of the studies completed.