Cuban Doctor Denounces Exploitation in Cuban Missions
Cuban Doctor Denounces Exploitation in BrazilS “More Doctors” Program
A Cuban doctor, Daycee Zamora, a 2015 graduate of the University of Medical Sciences of Havana specializing in Integral General Medicine, has publicly condemned what she describes as systemic abuse by the Cuban government within the “More Doctors” program in Brazil. Zamora alleges the program is an exploitative system disguised as international cooperation.
In a video shared widely on social media, Zamora stated she participated in the Mais Medicos (More doctors) program in brazil starting in 2017. “I want to clarify and denounce that such a program is not supportive or altruistic,” she said, asserting that Cuban doctors participate due to limited opportunities within Cuba.
Zamora directly criticized the Cuban Communist Party’s role in organizing and controlling the medical missions. “The Communist Party of Cuba… abuse us, coerce [us], enslave [us], steal from ourselves, because they steal more than 80% of the salary,” Zamora claimed. She added, “It is indeed a lot of abuse… a lot of indoctrination… coercion… psychological torture… very abusive, from taking your passport to paying you 20 percent of what cuba really charges.”
She further alleged that the Cuban government punishes doctors who choose not to return to the island after their mission ends,imposing an eight-year ban on re-entry. Zamora refuted the official narrative portraying the missions as humanitarian endeavors,stating,”It is a lie,there is no such altruism… a lot of Cuban policy in each country… and much abuse by the authorities of the Cuban Communist Party.”
The video of Zamora’s statements has been widely circulated online.A Facebook page, *The new Cuba*, shared the video, characterizing Zamora’s experience as that of a “former slave in the medical mission of Brazil.”
On Twitter, user @Doclibreuy wrote, “all ‘solidarity and selfless help that is offered from #cuba is an armed robbery, abuse, exploitation and slavery of doctors’,” adding that the Cuban government has profited from doctors for decades.
The association *Free Cubans in Uruguay*, also shared the video on Facebook, identifying Zamora as an activist and member of their group, stating her testimony reveals ”the violations of the Cuban regime and the traffic of slave doctors.”
Zamora’s allegations align with long-standing concerns raised by international organizations, governments, and other Cuban medical professionals regarding the operation of these missions.
The U.S. government has previously stated that the Cuban government generates over $4.9 billion annually from these medical missions, while subjecting its workers to exploitative labor conditions. Both the U.S. State Department and the european Parliament have described these practices as forms of forced labor and modern slavery.
A report by the Archive Cuba project indicated that in countries like the Bahamas,the Cuban government retains between 83.9% and 91.6% of the salary paid for each doctor, leaving the Cuban professionals with approximately $990 to $1,200 per month. Contracts reportedly include restrictions on accepting other employment, limitations on discussing the agreement’s terms, and mandatory participation in political events.
Cuba’s Minister of Public Health, José Ángel Portal Miranda, acknowledged earlier this month that the government had retained doctors’ passports for years as a “preventive measure,” confirming the practice in an official broadcast.
following the end of the Mais Medicos program in Brazil in 2018, many Cuban doctors chose to remain in the country but have faced challenges in having their medical credentials recognized.Dr. Juan Delgado,who participated in the program in 2013,has been unable to validate his diploma despite 30 years of experience,forcing him to take on odd jobs.
similarly, Dr. Mariela Ambruster, who worked in northeastern Brazil from 2013 to 2016, has been unsuccessful in her attempts to revalidate her medical licence.She currently works caring for the elderly and has lost the original of her diploma, further complicating her situation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cuban Medical Missions
What did Dr. Daycee Zamora denounce about Cuban medical missions?
Dr. Daycee Zamora denounced that Cuban medical missions are an exploitation system disguised as solidarity cooperation. According to her testimony, Cuban doctors face abuse, indoctrination, and coercion, in addition to having to deliver more than 80% of their salary to the Cuban government.
What is the economic impact of medical missions for the Cuban government?
The Cuban government obtains more than $4.9 billion annually through medical missions. This income comes from payments that receiving countries make for the services of Cuban doctors, of which the government retains between 75% and 90%, according to various reports and complaints.
How does the retention of passports affect Cuban doctors in international missions?
Passport retention prevents Cuban doctors from moving freely and submits them to control by the authorities of the missions.This practice has been used to prevent doctors from abandoning the missions and has been qualified as coercive by international organizations. Although the Cuban government admitted to this practice,it stated it is in the process of eliminating it.
What measures have international organizations taken in response to complaints about Cuban medical missions?
The European Parliament and the United States Government have denounced the Cuban medical missions as forms of modern slavery and forced labor. These entities have called on the international community to take measures to guarantee the labor rights of Cuban doctors and to sanction countries that benefit from these exploitation conditions.