Cuba’s Global Image vs. Reality: For decades, Cuba has promoted itself as a “medical power,” sending doctors abroad since 1963 and making medical exports its top source of foreign income.

Lack of Transparency: Official figures cite 22,000 doctors in over 50 countries, but independent estimates suggest up to 50,000 across 60+ nations, with little public data or accountability.

Domestic Health Collapse: Inside Cuba, hospitals face shortages of medicines, supplies, and staff; many clinics have closed, and patients rely on donations or black-market drugs.

Forced Labor Practices: Cuban medical missions often involve coercion, passport confiscation, and restricted movement—conditions meeting ILO and Palermo Protocol criteria for forced labor and trafficking.

The Human Cost: While Cuba profits from exporting doctors, citizens endure a broken health system; grassroots evidence and testimonies call for urgent international scrutiny and accountability