Miguel Díaz-Canel denounced at the XVII Summit of BRICS Leaders how the Cuban medical brigades that provide significant profits to his regime are “shamefully persecuted” by the United States and urged the countries in the bloc to promote a new international order.
“Cuba has developed a policy of training and cooperation for health professionals in the Third World for more than 60 years, and in the last two decades, the Henry Reeve Medical Contingent has served exemplary in disaster areas. However, these altruistic efforts from a small nation, instead of being rewarded and recognized, are shamefully persecuted by the largest economic power in the world,” stated the Cuban leader in Rio de Janeiro.
The accusation made by Díaz-Canel in the international forum is not new. It is part of an official narrative that attempts to present the medical collaboration program as a gesture of solidarity, omitting the fact that these missions represent one of the main sources of income for the regime, with millions in annual profits at the expense of the work of thousands of professionals.
The model of Cuban medical missions has been widely questioned by human rights organizations and by numerous testimonies from the professionals who are part of them.
Various reports document how the Cuban state retains a significant portion of the salary paid by recipient countries, confiscates passports, withholds wages, and subjects the doctors sent abroad to surveillance.
The speech by Díaz-Canel at the BRICS Summit takes place in a context of increasing international pressure from the United States on countries that maintain contracts with Cuban medical brigades.
In a recent interview for the program Democracy Now!, the Deputy Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío attempted to downplay the allegations of forced labor, claiming that the state program “is very similar” to those of UN agencies and European countries.
He also accused Secretary of State Marco Rubio of lying about the situation of Cuban doctors, stating that the professionals "receive their full salary in Cuba," plus a "decent stipend" in the destination country, which, according to Fernández, "improves the standard of living" for the doctors.
The rhetoric of "South-South cooperation" repeated at events such as the BRICS Summit aims to disguise what is in practice a centralized system that exploits the prestige of healthcare professionals and restricts their freedom of movement, expression, and work.
Despite the Cuban government's attempts to justify its model to the international community, an increasing number of voices identify it as a covert form of exploitation.
The trip of Díaz-Canel to Brazil, accompanied by Chancellor Bruno Rodríguez and other high-ranking officials, is a diplomatic operation in search of funding and political support at a time when the Cuban economy is experiencing a deep paralysis and the regime desperately needs new sources of income.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cuban Medical Brigades and Díaz-Canel's Report to the BRICS
What did Miguel Díaz-Canel report about the Cuban medical brigades at the BRICS Summit?
Miguel Díaz-Canel denounced that Cuban medical brigades are "shamefully persecuted" by the United States. In his statements, he claimed that these solidarity efforts from Cuba, rather than being recognized, are pursued by the world's largest economic power. However, these missions have been criticized for their exploitative nature and the coercive conditions imposed on Cuban doctors.
How do Cuban medical missions economically benefit the regime?
Cuban medical missions generate more than $4.9 billion a year for the Cuban regime. This system has been widely criticized because the Cuban government retains a large portion of the salary paid by the recipient countries, while the doctors work under conditions of exploitation and coercion.
What criticisms exist regarding Cuban medical brigades?
Cuban medical brigades have been described as a form of "modern slavery" and "forced labor" by the European Parliament. Human rights organizations have documented practices such as the confiscation of passports, withholding of salaries, and surveillance of doctors, which restrict their freedom and labor rights.
How does the Cuban government justify the conditions of its medical missions?
The Cuban government claims that medical missions are a form of international cooperation similar to that of UN agencies and other countries. According to Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío, doctors receive their full salary in Cuba and a stipend in the destination country. However, these claims are contradictory to the allegations of exploitation and state control over the doctors.
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