Sanctioning Those Involved in Cuba's Medical Mission Scheme

The State Department has imposed visa restrictions on African, Cuban, and Grenadian government officials, and their family members, for their part in the Cuban regime’s medical mission scheme. This involves sending healthcare professionals, primarily doctors, to various countries to provide medical care while the Cuban government keeps most of the revenue. This scheme enriches the corrupt Cuban regime while depriving the Cuban people of essential medical assistance.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X that the State Department is “committed to ending this practice,” and warned that “Countries who are complicit in this exploitative practice should think twice.”

According to the Cuban government, by the end of 2023, there were more than 22,000 government-affiliated Cuban workers in over 53 countries, and medical professionals composed 75 percent of its exported workforce.

Complaints filed with the International Criminal Court and the UN indicate most workers did not volunteer for the program, some never saw a contract or knew their destination, many had their passports confiscated by Cuban officials once they arrived at their destination, and almost all had overseers.

See Also: Surprise Medical Bills Were Supposed To Be a Thing of the Past. Surprise — They’re Not.

According to the 2024 State Department Trafficking in Persons Report, “experts estimate the Cuban government collects $6 billion to $8 billion annually from its export of services, which includes the medical missions. The labor export program remains the largest foreign revenue source for the Cuban government.”

The State Department also revoked the visas of two former Brazilian health officials, Mozart Julio Tabosa Sales and Alberto Kleiman. These individuals were connected to Brazil's Mais Médicos ("More Doctors") initiative, a program that hosted Cuban medical personnel in remote areas of Brazil during President Dilma Rousseff's administration.

Tabosa Sales and Kleiman used the Pan American Health Organization and Brazil's Ministry of Health as an intermediary with the Cuban regime to implement the program. They did so without following Brazilian constitutional requirements, dodging U.S. sanctions on Cuba, and knowingly paying the Cuban regime what was owed to Cuban medical workers, according to the State Department. Dozens of Cuban doctors that served in the program have reported being exploited by the Cuban regime as part of the program.

The United States will take action as needed to bring an end to such forced labor. Governments should pay the doctors directly for their services, not the regime slave masters.

The United States aims to support the Cuban people in their pursuit of freedom and dignity and promote accountability for those who perpetuate their exploitation. All nations that support democracy and human rights should join in this effort to confront the Cuban regime’s abuses and stand with the Cuban people. [VOA/VS]

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