Following the presentation of the report “Labor Rights of Healthcare Personnel in Medical Missions from Cuba” by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Mexico’s representative to the Organization of American States (OAS), Alejandro Encinas, expressed reservations about its conclusions this Friday and defended the working conditions of Cuban doctors in Mexico.
During the presentation of the document, held during the OAS regular session, the Mexican diplomat emphasized the importance of recognizing the scope and limitations of the study, while also highlighting the substantial differences between the Mexican reality and the cases reported in other countries.
The report, prepared by the Special Rapporteurship on Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights (REDESCA), presents, based on 71 testimonies, alleged labor and human rights violations in medical missions, with an emphasis on Venezuela.
At the document’s presentation ceremony, Encinas indicated that Mexico “takes note” of the report and agreed on the importance of promoting human rights observance in the region, although he stressed that the findings cannot be generalized.
“The situation described in the report cannot be generalized by analyzing only 71 cases out of thousands that exist,” he stated, specifying that more than 2,500 Cuban doctors have worked in Mexico.
In this context, he defended the cooperation agreement with Cuba to address the shortage of specialists, particularly in remote and highly marginalized communities, and emphasized that this program has been key to bringing health services to historically underserved populations.
Encinas affirmed that in Mexico, international medical personnel enjoy working conditions comparable to those of national specialists. “They receive the same salary as a national specialist. Payment is made directly to the doctor without any special subsidies,” he stated.
He added that, in many cases, they are provided with housing and food, and that some have established family ties in the communities where they serve, demonstrating a respectful integration process with the host communities.
He also denied that there are any restrictions on the doctors’ freedom. “Their documents are not withheld, and they have complete freedom to join any public or private institution,” he said.
As an example, he mentioned that in at least 75 cases, the Mexican government has directly hired these professionals upon completion of their participation in the program, demonstrating its commitment to retaining the talent developed during the collaboration.
He also asserted that the hiring of foreign doctors does not displace national personnel. “Each position filled by an international doctor was preceded by at least three unanswered public calls for applications,” he explained.
In his opinion, these professionals fill vacancies that would otherwise remain unfilled and contribute to reducing the backlog in specialized care in vulnerable areas, a structural problem affecting several regions of the country.
Encinas defended the cooperation with Cuba as a sovereign and solidarity-based policy. “It is a legitimate and necessary agreement that draws on the best of our peoples’ traditions,” he stated.
At the same time, he warned that the defense of human rights should not imply “contravening international law or seeking any form of tutelage,” in a clear allusion to criticisms that seek to discredit South-South cooperation mechanisms.
He indicated that Mexico will follow up on the rapporteur’s observations, although he considered that the Mexican experience “is not valued in this report,” and therefore a more detailed analysis of the documented cases will be conducted.
In that regard, he reiterated his government’s willingness to share its health cooperation model as an example of best practices that could enrich the regional debate on the labor rights of migrant medical personnel.
(With information from La Jornada)
IMAGE CREDIT: Photo: Prensa Latina
[ SOURCE: CUBA DEBATE / PRENSA LATINA ]
