FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 3rd, 2024
Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba Congratulates Historic Election of Claudia Sheinbaum as President-Elect of Mexico
Miami, Florida (June 3, 2024) – Today, the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba released the following statement from President and Founder Tony Costa in response to the historic election of President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum:
“We congratulate President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum on her victory as the new President of Mexico and in becoming the first woman elected president in Mexico’s history. We commend her commitment and dedication to leading Mexico towards a path of freedom, democracy, equality, and justice.
“We appreciate President-elect Sheinbaum’s vision for a Mexico that champions human and labor rights, as her commitment to these principles aligns with the global movement towards a more just and equitable world. In the spirit of her remarks from today, we urge her to review Mexico’s policy on the use of Cuban healthcare workers being forced to work at the cost of their freedom and to line the pockets of the Cuban totalitarian regime. The conditions on which they are sent over to work in Mexico and other recipient countries of these Cuban medical missions can only be described as a modern human trafficking scheme by the Cuban regime. Mexico’s commitment to human rights does not conflate with this egregious operation”.
“We urgently call on the new administration to address the issue of Cuban doctors and nurses working in Mexico, who are exploited for the benefit of a totalitarian regime that abuses them for profit. It is imperative that these healthcare professionals receive their wages directly, as opposed to the current practice of receiving only a small fraction of their wages after payment is sent directly to the Cuban regime, to prevent any further form of human trafficking and exploitation. Ensuring fair labor practices for all workers, regardless of their origin, is a fundamental aspect of any democracy. Mexico’s democratic values are threatened by this operation that violates the dignity and basic rights of thousands of Cuban health workers. President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum must not allow this to continue under her leadership.”
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About the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba (FHRC)
The Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba (FHRC) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that was established in 1992 to promote a nonviolent transition to a democratic Cuba. The FHRC’s mission is to empower Cuban civil society to build a durable democracy that is free of human rights violations.
For more information, please contact: fhrc@deweysquare.com