In a significant move, the U.S. Department of State announced on Wednesday the revocation of visas for several Brazilian government officials and former Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) officials, citing their involvement in the Cuban regime’s labor export scheme through Brazil’s Mais Médicos program. This decision also extends to family members of the implicated officials.
The officials are accused of complicity in a scheme that exploits Cuban medical workers under duress, significantly benefiting the Cuban regime while depriving many Cubans of essential healthcare services. Reports have surfaced indicating that numerous Cuban doctors involved in the program have suffered exploitation and mistreatment.
During the implementation of the Mais Médicos program, these officials allegedly used PAHO as a conduit to facilitate cooperation with the Cuban government, bypassing necessary Brazilian constitutional requirements and evading U.S. sanctions against Cuba. They reportedly failed to ensure that payments owed to the Cuban medical workers were directed to them, further implicating them in the regime’s coercive practices.
Among those whose visas were revoked are Mozart Julio Tabosa Sales and Alberto Kleiman, both of whom held positions within Brazil’s Ministry of Health during the program’s operation. Their roles in planning and executing the Mais Médicos initiative put them at the forefront of the U.S. government’s actions against human rights abuses tied to Cuban medical staff.
The U.S. Department of State emphasized that this action serves as a warning to those who facilitate or endorse the exploitation of individuals within the framework of the Cuban regime’s labor export initiatives. The move aims to promote accountability and ensure that those involved in such practices are held responsible.
