FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 17h, 2024
CONTACT:
FHRC@deweysquare.com
FHRC Urges Mexico to Defend Human Rights of Cuban Doctors
in New Agreement with Cuba
Miami, Florida (July 17, 2024) – In response to Mexico announcing that they are employing 2,700 additional Cuban doctors, the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba (FHRC) released the following statement:
“We call on the government of Mexico to uphold the rights of Cuban doctors contracted in a recent bilateral agreement with Cuba. For decades, these doctors have been forcibly separated from their families under the guise of medical missions, stripped of their passports and diplomas, and denied freedom of movement. They are exploited by the Cuban regime for profit, under the watchful eyes of Cuban intelligence handlers.”
“Mexico must hold the regime accountable for this practice, recognized by the U.S. State Department and human rights organizations as a forced labor trafficking scheme. These doctors on average receive only 10% of their salaries, with the Cuban regime profiting from their labor. We urge Mexico to pay these doctors directly and in full.
“To achieve true equality and justice, Mexico must ensure fair labor conditions for all workers, regardless of origin. We call on the Mexican government to fulfill their commitment under the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) and use its power to protect the rights and dignity of these doctors.”
###
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.