The administration of Donald Trump has annulled the visas of the wife and 10-year-old daughter of Brazil's Health Minister, Alexandre Padilha, as a retaliatory move due to his involvement in the creation of the Mais Médicos program, which engaged thousands of Cuban doctors. Although Padilha himself wasn't directly penalized because his U.S. visa expired in 2024, he is now unable to apply for a new one. This action, confirmed by BBC Mundo, has sparked outrage from the minister, who denounced it as a “cowardly” punishment against his family.
“I am absolutely outraged. This is a cowardly act affecting a ten-year-old child and my wife,” Padilha stated to Globo News. “Those responsible, the Bolsonaro clan, must explain to the world the risk a child poses to the U.S. government,” he added.
Defending the program, Padilha dismissed the allegations and described the health initiative as “the largest medical provision program in the world,” currently employing 28,000 professionals, most of whom are Brazilian. He pointed out that Cuba has historically deployed doctors to over 60 countries and that other governments continue to have agreements with Cuba without facing sanctions. “Why are there no sanctions against those countries, yet Brazilian officials and the Health Minister's family are targeted?” he questioned.
International Backlash and Criticism
This decision is part of the ongoing U.S. policy of imposing immigration restrictions on Brazilian officials and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) for their participation in Mais Médicos, a plan initiated in 2013 by Dilma Rousseff's government to address the shortage of medical professionals in remote and underserved areas.
U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, accused Padilha and other officials of facilitating what he termed a “forced labor export scheme” by the Cuban regime. Washington asserts that Havana exploited its professionals, withholding a significant portion of their salaries and limiting their freedom of movement. “Their complicity with the Cuban regime enriched a corrupt government and deprived Cubans of medical care,” Rubio stated while announcing the measure.
Broader Sanctions and Repercussions
Furthermore, sanctions announced on August 13 targeted Mozart Sales, Brazil's current Secretary of Specialized Care, and Alberto Kleiman, a former official linked to the program. Both were accused of facilitating PAHO's mediation with the Cuban government. The following day, the U.S. Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs reiterated its commitment to act against “all those responsible for the coercive export of medical labor,” branding Mais Médicos as a “diplomatic scam.”
Meanwhile, the Cuban regime defends its medical brigades as “solidarity-driven” and “life-saving,” yet it faces a significant loss of professionals. In 2023 alone, more than 13,000 doctors reportedly left the island’s health system, according to official data. This exodus exacerbates Cuba's internal healthcare crisis, with hospitals overwhelmed and thousands of Cubans lamenting the lack of specialists. Nevertheless, the Brazilian program continues to engage 2,659 Cuban professionals, despite international criticism and sanctions.
FAQs on U.S. Visa Revocations and Mais Médicos
Why were the visas of Alexandre Padilha's family revoked?
The visas were revoked as a retaliatory measure for Padilha's role in the Mais Médicos program, which involved thousands of Cuban doctors and was perceived by the U.S. as supporting a forced labor scheme by the Cuban regime.
What is the Mais Médicos program?
Mais Médicos is a Brazilian health initiative launched in 2013 to provide medical care in remote and underserved areas by employing thousands of medical professionals, including many from Cuba.
How has the Cuban government responded to these sanctions?
The Cuban government maintains that its medical brigades are humanitarian and life-saving efforts, despite facing a significant loss of medical professionals and criticism from the U.S.