United Nations (AP) – A high -ranking Cuban diplomat has accused the Trump government to discredit the thousands of Cuban doctors all over the world and rob the country of an crucial source of income.
The deputy foreign minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, who was a debate about sanctions this week in the UN headquarters, told The Associated Press that the United States is under pressure to put other countries and financial institutions under pressure to break its connections to Cuba.
Cossio said that Cuba has sent more than 100,000 doctors to more than 70 countries over the decades to ensure the urgently needed medical care. According to the government, more than 22,000 doctors are now working in more than 50 countries.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the program as “forced labor”. At the end of February, he announced visa restrictions for Cuban and foreign government officials who were involved in the medical missions of Cuba. In June, the Trump administration imposed several non -identified officers from Central America Visa restrictions on their participation in the Cuban program.
And in a letter received by AP last week, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights called for the 34 members of the organization of the American states to find details about all agreements with Cuba for medical missions. Information was expressly requested whether medical workers have labor and trade union rights and defendants of the employment complaints.
The Commission, an independent body of the OAS, which is strongly financed by the United States, said it would analyze the data and make recommendations, “given the persistence of reports on rights of rights”.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday that it was pleased that his campaign “triggered a sensible discussion of this exploitative export program for labor after years of rejection.” The United States will not stop doing these problems until Cuba restricts the “forced work” of its own citizens.
Cossio defended the program in an interview on Monday. He said all Cuban doctors working abroad receive their regular salary and “a dignified scholarship”.
From about 15 years ago, Kuba began to receive compensation from wealthier countries for the provision of doctors. This money covers the scholarships, the rest being financed the public health system in Cuba, he said.
Cossio accused the United States of trying to discredit the medical missions, first with the statement that Cuba did not send doctors, but agents to “undermine” these counties. He said that the USA then accused Cuba of human trafficking and had shown pressure on the countries who have agreements with Cuba to reject future medical missions.
He said the United States wanted to stop the praise that Cuba received, for the posting of doctors to many arms and developing countries and the delivery of a “legitimate source of income”. Cossio said Kuba would not violate his agreements.
Cossio also criticized the Trump administration to reverse a US policy of greeting Cubans into the country.
The administration has started to live and work Cubans, who have entered the United States since October 2022, to live and work two years of permission as a humanitarian guardian named Biden Management Program. This month President Donald Trump also announced additional restrictions for visitors from Cuba.
The restrictions have levied a shock for the 2.4 million Cuban Americans. You have strongly supported the Republican President in both elections and have long enjoyed a place in the privilege in the US immigration system.
