Condemns Cuba's human trafficking and forced labor of its medical personnel in foreign countries, urging international action to protect these workers and hold those responsible accountable.
Mark Green
Representative
TN-7
This bill denounces Cuba's human trafficking and forced labor practices within its medical export program, citing exploitation of Cuban medical personnel in third-world countries. It urges foreign governments to ensure fair labor practices, pay workers directly, and calls for visa revocations for officials involved in these schemes, while also urging agreement signatories to meet obligations that ensure international standards. The bill references the State Department's findings on Cuba's non-compliance with trafficking elimination standards and the regime's substantial profits from this program.
Cuban Medical Workers Face Exploitation: New Resolution Demands Direct Pay and Visa Restrictions
This resolution takes aim at Cuba's long-standing practice of sending medical professionals abroad, alleging it's essentially a state-sponsored human trafficking operation. The resolution, citing the Department of State's 2024 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, highlights how the Cuban government profits from these missions by confiscating a large chunk of workers' wages, seizing passports, and keeping them under constant surveillance. This resolution doesn't just point fingers—it urges action.
Cash, Control, and Coercion
The core of the resolution revolves around how Cuba allegedly exploits its medical workers. We're talking about an estimated $6 to $8 billion annual profit for the Cuban regime, according to the Department of State's June 2024 report to Congress. The resolution points out that the Cuban government reportedly keeps most of the workers' salaries, controls their movements with confiscated documents, and even threatens their families back home if they try to leave the program (Section 1). It's not just about the money, either; the resolution mentions constant surveillance and curfews, creating a highly controlled environment (Section 1).
Global Call to Action
This resolution isn't just about calling out Cuba. It's pushing for other countries and organizations to step up. It specifically urges foreign governments hosting these medical missions to pay the workers directly, bypassing the Cuban government's wage garnishment (Section 2). It also calls on the President to revoke visas of any foreign officials involved in these alleged trafficking schemes (Section 3). The resolution references the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024 (section 7045(e)), highlighting existing U.S. policy to restrict assistance to countries identified as engaging in such practices (Section 1).
Real-World Ripple Effects
Imagine being a doctor, trained to save lives, but finding yourself in a situation where your passport is taken, your wages are largely confiscated, and your family is threatened if you step out of line. This resolution directly addresses that scenario. By demanding direct payment and threatening visa restrictions, it aims to disrupt the alleged exploitation. The resolution also highlights the Pan American Health Organization's (PAHO) role in facilitating a Cuban medical mission in Brazil, noting that Brazilian, PAHO and Cuban officials are responsible for the alleged trafficking of Cuban doctors in the "Mais Medicos" program. The resolution directly calls upon signatories of international agreements to fulfill their obligations to meet international standards of working conditions. (Section 2). This is not only about protecting Cuban workers, but it's also a direct challenge to international organizations and governments to uphold labor standards. The challenge here is ensuring these measures don't inadvertently harm the healthcare access provided by these missions in underserved communities.