In May 2019 a BBC report stated that “Cuba has long been renowned for its medical diplomacy – thousands of its doctors work in healthcare missions around the world, earning the country billions of dollars in cash. But according to a new report, some of the doctors themselves say conditions can be nightmarish – controlled by minders, subject to a curfew and posted to extremely dangerous places…”
Then in September 2019, “United States officials… called on all nations to stop using Cuba’s medical missions, which send doctors around the world, saying that Cuba refused to pay the medical staff and held them against their will.
Prior to these reports, the Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS) had given its own statement in January 2019 about the gross human rights abuses committed by the Cuban regime. Now in an event with the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, the OAS Secretariat will tomorrow host an event to discuss what it terms the “dark reality” behind Cuba’s medical mission. According to the organizers:
The Cuban medical missions have been a long-standing diplomatic tool used by the Cuban to build relationships around the world. In recent years, controversy has surrounded these activities as the Cuban government has been accused of exploiting thousands of its citizens, forcing their participation in the program in a manner consistent with human trafficking. In recent months, there have also been allegations of the program being used for more disruptive activities, including involvement in protests and activities with a destabilizing impact on governments in the region or even countries not aligned with the Cuban Regime’s way of thinking. The OAS General Secretariat, in partnership with the Victims of Communism Foundation, will hold a conference to explore these issues.
These organizations, tomorrow (Dec. 18) at 14:00 EST, host an event at the Hall of the Americas for a conversation to explore these issues.
Read more here.
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