FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2025
FHRC Applauds Secretary Marco Rubio for Sanctioning Officials Linked to Cuban Forced Labor; Calls for Expanded Action
Miami, FL — The Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba (FHRC) applauds U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for imposing visa restrictions on Central American officials complicit in the Cuban regime’s forced labor schemes. This decisive action targets those who enable the exploitation of Cuban doctors sent abroad under conditions akin to modern slavery.
“Secretary Rubio is sending a clear message: those who participate in the trafficking of Cuban professionals will face consequences,” said Tony Costa, President of FHRC. “We urge that these sanctions be expanded to include officials and enablers in all regions of the world.”
Cuba’s so-called international labor missions, which the regime promotes as humanitarian aid, are in fact a state-controlled system of forced labor. Workers have up to 90% of their salaries confiscated, are subjected to constant surveillance, restricted in their movements, and face retaliation — including being barred from returning to Cuba for eight years — if they leave the program or speak out.
Forced labor is not limited to missions abroad. Within Cuba, hotel workers are also exploited under a similar model. Foreign companies pay wages directly to the regime, which then gives workers only a small portion of the salary, often in devalued currency. These workers are closely monitored and punished if they express dissent or have unauthorized contact with foreigners.
FHRC calls on all governments and companies involved in these labor schemes to end their partnerships with the Cuban regime. We urge host countries to grant work visas to Cuban professionals and to hire them directly, independent of the state.
The Foundation reaffirms its commitment to defending the rights of Cuban workers and to pushing for international accountability. We will continue to expose and confront all forms of state-sponsored forced labor imposed by the regime.