Neither the Ministry of Health, the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), nor IMSS-Bienestar have any knowledge of whether the Cuban doctors working in Mexico are fulfilling their intended purpose. These doctors were supposedly hired to serve in rural and underserved areas where local professionals refuse to work. According to an investigation by El Universal, based on transparency requests, none of the three institutions hold metrics, indicators, or reports on the performance, productivity, or specialization of the doctors sent by the Cuban regime since 2022. They often pass the responsibility among themselves to define who should provide the information, while an official evaluation remains absent.
The Mexican press has been particularly critical in monitoring the activities of these Cuban doctors. The investigations highlight not only the lack of transparency in the use of public funds but also allegations of human exploitation, infiltration of Cuban State Security agents in the missions, and the substantial payments made to the regime of Miguel Díaz-Canel. These reports have put a spotlight on a program that, while supported by the administrations of Claudia Sheinbaum and her predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador, is internationally criticized as a political and economic mechanism that benefits Havana more than the patients it claims to serve.
Massive Spending Without Accountability
Despite recent defense by Sheinbaum amidst criticism from the United States and international organizations, this healthcare collaboration has cost Mexico over 2.019 billion pesos (approximately 105 million dollars) in less than three years. A portion of this amount goes directly to the Cuban state-owned company Comercializadora de Servicios Cubanos, while the rest covers accommodation, transportation, special meals, and a permanent driver for the brigade members.
Yet, IMSS, IMSS-Bienestar, and the Ministry of Health admit their ignorance regarding key data such as the number of consultations conducted, shifts covered, or the exact location of each doctor. They also do not know how much of this money reaches the hands of the professionals, who are classified as "external collaborators" rather than employees.
This program is part of a model for exporting medical services that the Cuban government itself acknowledges as a strategic source of foreign currency, with more than 24,000 healthcare workers deployed abroad. Washington and human rights organizations describe it as "modern slavery," arguing that the professionals suffer from passport retention, surveillance, and abusive salary deductions.
While the Bahamas has chosen to pay the doctors directly to avoid benefiting the regime, Mexico continues with the current scheme, transferring funds to Havana without public control over their distribution or the results of the services provided. The absence of evaluations not only obscures the use of Mexican public resources but also exacerbates the plight of thousands of Cuban doctors working abroad under imposed contracts and without labor guarantees.
On the island, empty hospitals, staff shortages, and the exodus of professionals continue to define the healthcare crisis, while the government prioritizes exporting its medical services as a business.
Key Issues in the Cuban Medical Program in Mexico
What is the purpose of the Cuban doctors' program in Mexico?
The program aims to provide medical services in rural and underserved areas of Mexico where local professionals are unwilling to work.
How much has Mexico spent on the Cuban medical program?
Mexico has spent over 2.019 billion pesos, equivalent to about 105 million dollars, on the program in less than three years.
Why is the program criticized internationally?
International criticism stems from allegations of lack of transparency, human exploitation, infiltration of Cuban agents, and financial benefits primarily going to the Cuban regime rather than the intended beneficiaries.