There were tearful scenes within the Central American country of Honduras on February 23, as locals bid farewell to Cuban health care professionals who had been treating them totally free for nearly two years. This comes after the Honduran government abruptly ended its medical mission to Cuba under pressure from US President Donald Trump’s administration.
That same day, a “sensitive” US State Department memo was sent to Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. It was discussed. American strategy Sabotaging Cuba’s medical internationalism, which has been an integral a part of the island nation’s foreign policy for the reason that Nineteen Sixties. It has also turn out to be a very important pillar of its economy lately.
The United States has imposed unilateral sanctions on Cuba for greater than 60 years. These prevent Cuba from engaging in “normal” international trade – for instance, third parties cannot sell goods to Cuba if 10% of their components are from US corporations or subsidiaries. And Cuba cannot export goods to the US. American blockade on top of that Strictly prohibits Cuba’s access to the international economic system.
In this context, the export of medical professionals has turn out to be indispensable to the Cuban economy. For many years the Cuban government sent medical missions around the globe as donations to developing countries. But over the past twenty years, it has developed cooperation agreements whereby governments or local authorities pay the Cuban government for the medical services of health care professionals.
Attacking that income appears to be a key component of American pressure. Change of government In Cuba by the tip of the 12 months. This is along with the whole oil embargo imposed by Trump’s executive order on January 29, which has now led to several National blackout Which has left all the island. In the dark.
It is a carrot and stick policy. Countries sending out Cuban medics are offered U.S. assistance for “infrastructure modernization” — things like telemedicine and virtual training. A 12 months ago, Rubio announced Visa restrictions For current and former personnel and their families from anywhere on this planet participating in Cuban programs.
By mid-March this 12 months, the neighboring governments aligned. Guatemala, Paraguay, the Bahamas, Guyana and Jamaica ended many years of cooperation and disbanded the Cuban medical mission. In GuatemalaMore than 400 Cuban health care professionals, most of them doctors, serve local communities under a partnership that spans three many years. The last doctor will leave by the tip of the 12 months.
The US government’s attack on Cuban medical internationalism just isn’t recent. It began in 2006, the 12 months the oil-for-doctors program between Cuba and Venezuela modified the export of health care professionals to Cuba. The main source of income.
U.S. policy sought to eliminate this revenue and undermine the prestige of island programs. Founded by then US President George W. Bush. Cuban Medical Professional Parole (CMPP) ProgramEncouraging Cuban medical professionals abroad to desert their missions and create disorder within the United States. gave The program ended Only in 2017, in Barack Obama’s final days as president.
Nevertheless, and reflecting the deficit in health care globally, Cuba’s income from the export of health care services increased. Revenue in 2018 (first 12 months published in Cuba Separate data for health services). 6.4 billion US dollars (£4.8 billion). The first Trump administration developed policies, and fundingTo sabotage these programs.
Cuban Health Bill
He also devised a brand new justification for doing so. The US government couldn’t openly demand that countries sacrifice the health and well-being of their populations just to disclaim Cuba income. So as a substitute, He blamed Cuba Human trafficking and its health care professionals have been equated with slavery.
Anyone who has spoken to Cuban participants – as I actually have – knows that they sign service contracts abroad that provide them with additional compensation from the host country along with their regular Cuban salary. They are guaranteed holidays and make contact with with families.
Also with Tens of thousands The state’s investment in health care and medical training of overseas medical employees implies that the Cuban population The highest ratio Number of doctors per capita on this planet. In 2022, it was said Nine doctors and nine nurses For every 1000 residents. In the US, there are 2.6 doctors per 1,000 residents. The UK figure is 3.2..
For many Cuban health care professionals, it symbolizes the achievement of a world duty. A way for others to travel or increase their income. The Cuban government takes the lion’s share of the revenue and Puts them back in Cuba’s universal free public health care provision and medical training.
But under the second Trump administration, Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants who fled the island through the Batista dictatorship, has led a renewed attack on the island’s international medical programs. A recent State Department memo said Cuban medical brigades were a key source. “hard cash” for the federal government.
gave Four forms Cuban medical internationalization practices established within the Nineteen Sixties include:
- Overseas Emergency Medical Brigade
- Treatment of foreign patients in Cuba
- training foreign students as health care professionals, and,
- Establishment of public health facilities abroad
This contribution to developing countries has often been ignored or censored. But it saves and improves hundreds of thousands of lives globally yearly. Sabotaging medical internationalism will destroy Cuba. But it should also leave hundreds of thousands of individuals around the globe without the critical medical care they once enjoyed.