Cuba Rejects Pompeo Statements on its Medical Brigades

Cuba’s Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez Thursday rejected U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s statements against Cuban Medical Brigade Henry Reeve and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

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“The U.S. Secretary of State, an exponent of the current corrupted and immoral U.S. foreign policy, reiterates his aggressive purposes. He makes his isolation even more clear when attacking PAHO and Cuba's medical cooperation. He is a threat to peace,” Parrilla tweeted.

On June 10, Pompeo alleged Cuban doctors involved in the Brazilian Health Program were into forced labor and a form of modern slavery. He also questioned PAHO for its role as a facilitator for Cuban Medical solidarity and threatened to cut U.S. funds for the international organization.

Foreign Affairs Ministry’s director-general of U.S. Affairs Carlos Fernandez de Cossio denounced U.S. State Department and anti-Cuba politicians' hostile policy against the Island.

The diplomat also stressed U.S. authorities disregard on Cuba’s pandemic management and pointed COVID-19 is far from control in the U.S.

In Brazil, Cuban health workers joined the "More Doctors" Health Program in August of 2013, as part of its medical collaboration strategy with former Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff. 

The far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, however, ordered Cuban doctors’ withdraw in 2018. As for that moment, Cuba had sent about 20,000 collaborators and assisted 113,359,000 patients in over 3,600 municipalities. PAHO served as a mediator for the solidarity program.

So far, Cuba has sent over 25 brigades to 34 African, European, and Latin American nations to serve against the COVID-19 pandemic.​​​​​​​