Cuban doctors deployed by the regime in Havana to Angola report that the company Antex, responsible for managing corporate entities linked to GAESA in that African country, has halved their monthly stipend of 200 dollars, which they had been receiving for food, "for months" due to a lack of liquidity in the company's accounts.

In the contract signed in Cuba, Antex committed to paying the medical staff a salary of $1,200 per month, of which $1,000 was deposited in MLC form into the bank cards the doctors have on the island, while the remaining $200 was given in cash for their upkeep. However, once in Africa, the conditions changed without any prior modification to the contract, and instead of receiving the full $200 in cash, they were given $100 and assured that the missing $100 would be added to the MLC card.

This situation is due, as representatives from Antex have explained to those affected, to a lack of funds. Although no one is protesting, the situation has caused discomfort that worsened last November when they were not even paid the 100 they were supposed to receive for food.

"It has happened more than once, and they always say the same thing: 'There's no money, and I can't pay you,'” complains a victim.

"With 100 dollars, you can buy meat, rice; you can buy food, but it's tight. You eat, but without luxuries or any kind of treats. It's a tightrope that you walk on. You have to choose whether to spend money on your phone or save up to bring something when you go on vacation to see your family," he adds.

What bothers people the most, in general, is that the heads of "the mission" live in hotels in Luanda and have their meals, cleaning, and basic needs covered. The rest only have their accommodation secured. Everyone else has to pay for anything else out of their own pocket, and when Antex doesn't pay, they have to borrow money, and sometimes, when they can't afford to eat, they end up having "chá com pão," which translates from Portuguese as tea with bread.

Another concern for doctors is the payment of their salaries in MLC, a currency that the regime itself has devalued by opening more stocked stores in dollars.

"We don't know where the money that Angola pays for our work in the hospitals goes. Who knows where it ends up? Of the 5,000 dollars that Angola pays for each doctor, a thousand go to Cuba in MLC cards, but now no one wants the MLC because you walk into a store that accepts dollars and into one that accepts MLC, and it's like 'The Prince and the Pauper,'" complains a person consulted by CiberCuba.

Doctors assigned to Angola sign a two-year contract, which allows for extensions. "You can go to Cuba every time a year ends, and you can request an extension up to the maximum limit of five years. They don't let you continue after that because after five years, you have the right to start the residency process in Angola. Before that happens, they remove us from here," concludes this affected individual.

Modern slavery

The United Nations (UN) has received reports about the exploitation of Cuban doctors in international missions. In 2019, UN human rights experts warned about abusive working conditions, which include salary retention, extreme surveillance, and mobility restrictions. Those who leave these missions may face severe reprisals, such as a ban on returning to Cuba for eight years. These practices could be considered a form of modern slavery and forced labor according to international standards.

Last year, U.S. Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar championed a bipartisan resolution to condemn the trafficking of Cuban doctors, describing the missions as a system of exploitation under the control of the Cuban regime. In this regard, she denounced that health professionals are sent abroad under precarious conditions, without freedom of movement and with a large portion of their salary confiscated.

These accusations have raised concerns in the international community, which is calling for a thorough review of these medical missions and demanding measures to ensure the fundamental rights of Cuban health workers.