​Yesterday, Uruguay’s Ministry of Social Development (MIDES) announced it would not be renewing the contract it has with the Cuban government for work through Uruguay’s National Center for Technical and Technological Aid (CENATT).
 
The Global Liberty Alliance (GLA), which has spent close to two years has used various legal tools, including freedom of information laws and human rights litigation, to hold to account officials who authorized the Cuban Medical Brigade programs in Uruguay and other nations. GLA issued the following press release in response to yesterday’s important events.

​On July 26, GLA counsel in Uruguay filed a criminal complaint with the Attorney General’s office regarding Uruguay’s continued exploitation of forced labor via Cuban medical brigades.

The U.S. Department of State recently published the 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report and urged governments worldwide to join the United States in improving our collective efforts to comprehensively address human trafficking. The Global Liberty Alliance (GLA) applauds this message and has joined in these efforts in its recent work in Latin America.

 On June 17, 2021, U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-NY) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) re-introduced legislation to strengthen accountability measures regarding the Cuban regime’s exploitation of Cuban doctors and other medical professionals.

On May 26, the Global Liberty Alliance sent a letter to Uruguay's Ambassador to the United States thanking Uruguay for its efforts in unmasking forced labor practices by the Cuban Communist Party Medical Brigade programs. 

Cuba Archive, in a recent Trafficking in Persons report to the U.S. Department of State, maintains that Cuba engages in trafficking medical professionals internationally.

The report mentions Global Liberty Alliance's work uncovering corruption and increasing accountability for Cuba's medical "missions" abroad.
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You can read the detailed CiberCuba article on the issue, "Gobierno cubano comete tráfico de personas con médicos alquilados en el extranjero, según informe" here. 
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In a letter to Panama's Ambassador to the United States, the Global Liberty Alliance reminded Ambassador Juan De Dianous that fundamental and human rights must be respected during the pandemic. Panama may have signed an agreement with Communist Cuba to retain the services of medical workers but this does not change the fact that it is forced labor. 

"Rather than enable the Cuban government in human trafficking, Panama should help bring an end to this inhumane practice. As a strong U.S. ally with a record of defending human rights and the rule of law, Panama should press the Cuban regime to stop abusing Cuban medical workers, allow workers to contract and travel freely, and practice their profession without violating their fundamental rights," said GLA President Jason Poblete. The letter is available at the end of this post. 

On November 17, Global Liberty Alliance partner Ms. Sabrina V. Peláez, an attorney, and Mr. Christian Núñez met with the Uruguay national Representative Mr. Javier Radiccioni, who is a member of Uruguay’s Commission of Human Rights and Petitions. At the meeting’s conclusion, the parties agreed that the Uruguayan legislator would undertake a Request for Reports, through the Uruguayan House of Representatives, to the different national agencies involved in the agreements with Cuba.
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On Wednesday, August 26, after a meeting with GLA-allied lawyers for 100 Cuban medical workers, the Brazilian Minister of Justice and Public Safety agreed to investigate the workers' allegations of forced labor in the Cuban medical mission.