On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that the United States will enforce travel sanctions on several Brazilian government officials and former executives of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) due to their involvement in the Mais Médicos program. Washington criticizes this initiative for employing Cuban personnel under conditions it deems a form of forced labor.
In a statement shared on social media platform X, Rubio revealed that the State Department is actively revoking visas and imposing travel bans on those they describe as "accomplices of the Cuban regime" in the coercive exportation of medical services. Rubio labeled Mais Médicos as an "unacceptable diplomatic scam of foreign 'medical missions,'" highlighting that the program exploited thousands of Cuban professionals, subjecting them to restrictive conditions that infringed upon their labor rights and freedom of movement.
For years, Washington has accused the Cuban government of withholding a significant portion of the salaries of health professionals dispatched on international missions and limiting their mobility. These practices have been condemned by international organizations and former collaborators as forced labor.
Initiated in Brazil in 2013 by then-President Dilma Rousseff, the Mais Médicos program was a major destination for Cuban medical brigades, with PAHO serving as an intermediary between the Brazilian government and Havana. The organization has faced legal challenges in the United States for its role in the agreements overseeing the participation of Cuban doctors in the program.
Rubio's recent statement echoed sentiments from February, shortly after he assumed his role as Secretary of State, when he announced the expansion of visa restrictions connected to Cuba. At that time, he stated, "The State Department has taken actions to restrict visa issuance to Cuban and third-country officials complicit, as well as individuals responsible for the Cuban regime's forced labor export program. We will hold the regime accountable for oppressing its people and those who profit from forced labor."
The sanctions targeting Brazilian officials and former PAHO executives are part of a broader initiative unveiled on Wednesday, which also includes measures against representatives from Africa, Cuba, and Grenada. The State Department describes this as a strategy to dismantle international networks that facilitate the labor exploitation of Cuban doctors.
Key Questions About U.S. Sanctions on Mais Médicos Involvement
What prompted the U.S. to impose sanctions on the Mais Médicos program?
The U.S. imposed sanctions due to the program's use of Cuban personnel under conditions it considers forced labor. Washington criticizes the Cuban government for withholding salaries and restricting the movement of its healthcare professionals.
Who are the main targets of these new U.S. sanctions?
The sanctions specifically target Brazilian government officials and former executives of the Pan American Health Organization involved in the Mais Médicos program, as well as individuals from Africa, Cuba, and Grenada.
How has PAHO been involved in the Mais Médicos program?
PAHO acted as an intermediary between the Brazilian government and Cuba, facilitating the participation of Cuban doctors in the Mais Médicos program. This involvement has led to legal actions against PAHO in the United States.