In a bold move with sweeping diplomatic implications, the U.S. State Department on August 13, 2025, revoked visas and imposed restrictions on several Brazilian government officials, former Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) officials, and their families for their roles in what Washington calls a “coercive labor export scheme” run by the Cuban regime.
At the centre of the controversy is Brazil’s Mais Médicos program, a health initiative once hailed for bringing Cuban doctors to underserved regions of Brazil. Behind the scenes, however, U.S. officials argue the program served as a front for the Cuban government’s exploitation of its own medical professionals. By channelling payments through PAHO, they say, Brazilian authorities sidestepped constitutional requirements, skirted U.S. sanctions, and ultimately enriched Havana while Cuban doctors were left underpaid and heavily monitored.
The visa revocations specifically target Mozart Julio Tabosa Sales and Alberto Kleiman, both of whom held senior positions in Brazil’s Ministry of Health during the rollout of Mais Médicos. According to the State Department, the two were instrumental in designing and implementing a system that knowingly funnelled millions to the Cuban state rather than directly compensating doctors.
Dozens of Cuban physicians have since come forward, alleging gruelling conditions, withheld wages, and restrictions on personal freedoms while working under the program. The U.S. government has characterised these conditions as “forced labour,” part of a broader Cuban strategy to export medical workers abroad as a key source of foreign income.
“This action sends an unmistakable message,” the State Department declared, “that the United States will hold accountable those who enable the Cuban regime’s forced-labour schemes.”
The decision marks the latest in Washington’s efforts to confront Havana’s labour practices and pressures Brazil’s government to reckon with the darker legacy of its once-celebrated health initiative.
Story: Lawal Mohammed
