The Cuban government has quietly altered the rejection message displayed on the online platform Soberanía, which specialist doctors use to apply for passports. This change eliminated any explicit mention of the reason for denying their applications.
This modification followed public outcry led by Dr. Alberto Tejeda Illas. His case sparked widespread outrage among fellow doctors on social media.
Dr. Tejeda had documented the automatic denial he received when attempting to process his passport application, which clearly stated that his request was rejected because he was a specialist doctor regulated under the Ministry of Public Health's Vital Category.
The screenshot he shared on Facebook served as public proof of a restriction that the government had never formally acknowledged in writing.
After the case gained traction and regulated doctors in Cuba expressed their anger, the platform updated the text. A colleague of Tejeda attempted the same process and got a generic response: "The application cannot be processed; please visit a MININT citizen service office in your province." There was no longer any mention of the vital category or the MINSAP.
Tejeda himself confirmed the change by reapplying and publicly questioned, "Why, after the complaints from thousands of affected doctors, is the detailed explanation no longer shown? Or is it because the explanation reveals violations of universal rights that the Cuban State claims to recognize globally?"
The Santiago-based doctor had previously published an open letter to the Minister of Public Health on June 12, highlighting three years of passport denials, despite having left his job over a year and a half ago.
"I'm being restricted by an employer when I am no longer their employee, and there is no contract in place," he wrote.
Responses from the Ministry of Public Health are typically verbal. The government does not provide written evidence or signed copies of the denials applicants submit to hospital directors and provincial authorities.
Ironically, the Soberanía platform was the first to offer automatic written evidence of this restriction.
The legal basis for these restrictions comes from Decree 306, dated October 11, 2012, which requires professionals deemed "vital" to obtain approval from their employers before leaving the country.
In January 2023, the government extended these restrictions to include medical specialists, dentists, healthcare technicians, and nursing graduates, following an internal videoconference where the Human Capital Director of MINSAP specifically requested "discretion."
The new Migration Law No. 171/2024, published in the Official Gazette on May 5, 2026, did not address the issue: travel authorization remains at the discretion of officials.
According to a report from Prisoners Defenders, over 1,402 Cuban healthcare professionals were affected by these restrictions as of January 2024, a significant increase from the 110 cases recorded in 2019.
"These restrictions affect all similar specialists in the country, but claiming rights is a personal action; perhaps the denials are reprisals for daring to confront these injustices," warned Tejeda, who fears his repeated denials are directly linked to his outspoken stance.
FAQs on Cuban Travel Restrictions for Health Professionals
What prompted the Cuban government to change the rejection message on the Soberanía platform?
The change was prompted by public outcry and the actions of Dr. Alberto Tejeda Illas, who documented his denial and shared it publicly, leading to widespread outrage among medical professionals.
What is the legal basis for the travel restrictions on Cuban healthcare professionals?
The restrictions are based on Decree 306 from October 11, 2012, which requires "vital" professionals to obtain employer approval before leaving the country.
How has the new Migration Law No. 171/2024 affected these travel restrictions?
The new law did not change the situation, as the decision to authorize travel still lies with the discretion of officials.