The United States has revoked the visas of Brazilian, African, and Caribbean officials connected to Cuba’s medical program, which Washington deems “forced labor.” This action targets two Brazilian Ministry of Health officials, Mozart Julio Tabosa Sales and Alberto Kleiman, who were involved in Brazil’s “More Doctors” program established in 2013. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that sanctions were imposed on officials “involved in abetting the Cuban regime’s coercive labor export scheme,” which allegedly enriches the Cuban government at the expense of its citizens’ medical care. The United States has also announced visa restrictions for African and Caribbean officials and their families for similar reasons.
Cuba’s government denies these accusations, arguing that Washington’s actions are a thinly veiled attempt to undermine Cuba’s foreign currency earnings. Cuba has a long history of providing medical support to developing nations as an act of international solidarity, with an estimated 135,000 to 400,000 Cuban doctors having been sent abroad over the past five decades. The termination of Cuba’s involvement in the “More Doctors” program in 2018 followed questions raised by then-President-elect Jair Bolsonaro about the agreement’s terms and the doctors’ qualifications.
The United States is already embroiled in a diplomatic dispute with Brazil following the imposition of sanctions on Brazilian officials involved in the ongoing trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro over alleged coup plotting in 2022. The effectiveness of Cuba’s healthcare system, which is public and meant to be universally accessible, has been jeopardized by decades of US sanctions and reduced tourism due to Trump’s travel ban. The Trump administration has resumed its aggressive stance towards Cuba, including sanctions against Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and other regime-controlled entities for alleged human rights abuses.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/14/us-sanctions-brazil-health-officials-over-cubas-overseas-medical-missions?traffic_source=rss
