Thursday, April 24, 2025
By KEILE CAMPBELL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
FOREIGN Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell has warned that documents leaked by a US-based human rights group — purporting to show that Cuban medical professionals in The Bahamas receive a small fraction of their contracted wages — could be part of a broader effort to influence Bahamian public policy and undermine the country’s sovereignty.
He said the documents, published last week by the Miami-based Cuba Archive, were “purloined” and lacked explanation or context.
He cautioned against the influence of such leaks but did not categorically deny the organisation’s central claim: that Cuban medical professionals receive less than 20 percent of the wages paid by the Bahamian government — an arrangement that could place local officials in the crosshairs of US authorities considering visa restrictions for those linked to Cuba’s medical missions programme.
“The Bahamas government does not engage in any practice contrary to international labour norms. Let’s make that abundantly clear,” he said.
“The use of the purloined documents could not have been meant to do us any good, posted as they are, without explanation, context or checks on their authenticity. These are signs of the times in which we live, these actions where friends are foe, and foe pretends to be a friend, and it is difficult to tell who is what and what is what.”
The documents, which purportedly bear the signatures of Bahamian and Cuban officials, suggest that while The Bahamas pays thousands of dollars monthly for each Cuban medical worker, the professionals receive only $990 to $1,200 monthly. The remainder appears to go to the Cuban state agency Comercializadora de Servicios Médicos Cubanos (CSMC).
In the House of Assembly yesterday, Mr Mitchell said the government must resist forming policy based on “subjective interpretations of untested material,” adding: “This is dangerous stuff, though, for Bahamians in an atmosphere where public policy is being made, often taken by subjective interpretations of untested material.”
He warned that public officials should not have their right to travel “abridged or threatened” based on such leaked documents.
Speaking separately to reporters at a Fox Hill event, he did not comment directly on whether he believes the US government played a role in the leak. However, he said there is growing concern that unauthenticated materials could be “weaponised” against Bahamian officials.
He urged Bahamians not to adopt foreign narratives uncritically, especially
in sensitive areas like immigration and labour diplomacy.
He said The Bahamas must rely on its “moral values and our voice” as a small nation without economic or military power.
“We don’t have the economic power, we don’t have military power, we only have the moral values and our voice,” he said. “The elephants fight, the grass gets trampled.”
“Folks who are well meaning ought to be more careful and circumspect in this world that we live in today. You cannot argue that you’re doing good when you know, in fact, you may be inflicting harm.”
Cuba Archive has a distinct right-wing bent, but both Republican and Democratic administrations have trusted its exposés in the United States. Under the Biden administration,
the US State Department named the organisation’s executive director, Maria Werlau, a Trafficking in Persons Hero and, according to the New York Times, has relied on the group’s research into Cuba’s medical missions for its assessments.
On Monday, US Embassy Charge D’Affaires Kimberly Furnish repeated her government’s warning that visa restrictions could be imposed on officials deemed complicit in what Washington calls a coercive Cuban labour export system.
Comments
ExposedU2C says...
Slimy scumbag Fwreddy Boy Mitchell has the temerity to be dismayed and angered about the leak of these tell all documents by a reputable human rights organisation while refusing to deny the organisation’s central claim that Cuban medical workers receive less than 20 percent of the wages paid by the Bahamian government.
Bottom line: Slimy scumbag Fwreddy Boy Mitchell, like Davis, Cooper, and Darville, has all along known about the Bahamian government's profiteering participation with the Cuban socialist regime in the illegal cross-border human trafficking of Cuban medical workers stripped of their rights and freedoms.
Make no mistake about it, sleazy Fwreddy Boy Mitchell all along knew the full details of what was going on here because he himself as minister of foreign affairs was directly involved in negotiating the diplomatic and other arrangements whereby the Bahamas government became a willing participant with the Cuban socialist regime in what can only be described as a modern day slave trade scheme for mutual profit.
And to think many of the voters in Fwreddy Boy's own constituency are the descendants of slaves who were cruelly treated by their plantation masters. Yup, Fwreddy Boy who has been sucking on the public purse for decades as a pseudo-intellect and wannabe respected international diplomat is nothing more than a low life fruit-tart who is willing to engage in and benefit from illegal modern day slavery of the worst kind. He's truly a pathetic sod without a soul who has disgraced our nation for decades in too many ways to count.
Posted 24 April 2025, 10:45 a.m. Suggest removal
rosiepi says...
Mitchel’s statement “the purloined documents could not gave been meant to do us any good” feigns to be affronted on behalf of all Bahamians and even provides the evildoer -
the mightier US against the small nation.
We however know of whom he speaks as “us” his own corrupt gov’t Davis&Co.
And why should the Bahamas commit to policy based on “untested material?”
Why indeed? Isn’t this the question voters ask time and again when Davis&Co plunk down Bahamian tax dollars to fly-by-night companies, contracts for politically connected contractors?
It’s all just word salad dodging the remedy-produce the documents!
And also another release of coming attractions-“Bahamas victim of corrupt US Repression”
or how to fight chgs of corruption/drug smuggling/human trafficking in the Bahamas media!!
Posted 24 April 2025, 2:26 p.m. Suggest removal
ExposedU2C says...
All too true and well said.
Posted 25 April 2025, 4:30 p.m. Suggest removal
observer2 says...
have faith and believe Fred otherwise the policy makes zero sense.
Cubans make $1,000 a month and that’s 20% of their cost before housing and food allowance. Total cost of Cuban Nurse is $5,000 a month ($1,000 / 20%) plus $1,000 for food and rent.
So we are up to $7,000 a month or $84,000 a year.
We paying Bahamian nurses $24,000 a year …. they then go to the U.S. / their to make $60,000 a year.
No wonder Bahamians insist thier children leave. Ain’t nuttin here for da yuts dem.
Posted 24 April 2025, 5:07 p.m. Suggest removal
whatsup says...
Why are there so many Haitians in the newspapers everyday applying for Citizenship? Is the Gov doing this for votes in the next Elections? We have too many Haitians in this country. They are taking jobs away from Bahamians.
Posted 24 April 2025, 6:34 p.m. Suggest removal
ExposedU2C says...
If the slimy Fwreddy Boy Mitchell had his way and could do so, every single one of the more than 70,000+ non-Bahamian Haitian nationals in The Bahamas would be magically granted Bahamian citizenship by the waving of his fairy wand.
Posted 25 April 2025, 4:41 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
Not lacking explanation, nor contested by the Premiership of "Brave';" -- is 'Cuban Medical Workers' are paid 'plenty more' than the **Bucket Fetchers'** wages of Bahamian Medical Professionals.' -- We know how the Cuban system works against their popoulaces' -- Now time study **who getting the $$$** is not being paid to Bahamians . -- Yes?
Posted 24 April 2025, 6:35 p.m. Suggest removal
birdiestrachan says...
Why take what this organization say as gospel.in the words of pontius pilate to Jesus What is truth.??
Posted 24 April 2025, 7:41 p.m. Suggest removal
ohdrap4 says...
I had a Cuban colleague years ago.
She received the same wages as the others, as the housing allowance was not mandatory by employer. The employee paid the permit and her full wages minus Nib.
500 was her personal allowance. Then she presented receipts for rent food and utilities. What was left over she sent to Cuba. Saw her doing the accounts many times .
At the end of her contract she could import a car to Cuba duty free. Which she did when she returned.
Posted 24 April 2025, 8:37 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
**You think** that somewhere in 'the mix' will be 'he real' PLP 'money bosses' who are like the Cosa Nostra bosses. -- making sure the 'Cuban stories' are lined-up so that they don't end up in one of the big houses. -- Yes?
Posted 24 April 2025, 11:53 p.m. Suggest removal
truetruebahamian says...
Yes!
Posted 25 April 2025, 1:07 p.m. Suggest removal
birdiestrachan says...
The government has to go through an agency to employ the Cubans and the individual signed a contract. No one can force them to do so.
Posted 25 April 2025, 2:10 p.m. Suggest removal
ExposedU2C says...
You have failed to explain why each Cuban medical worker illegally trafficked to the Bahamas by the agency controlled by the Cuban socialist regime is costing Bahamian taxpayers many times more than the actual cost of the Cuban medical worker's pay, allowances, and other benefits. Exactly who in Cuba and in the Bahamas is pocketing the very great difference for each enslaved worker? The difference is so outrageously great that it cannot possibly be regarded as some type of head-hunters fee.
Posted 25 April 2025, 5:05 p.m. Suggest removal
bogart says...
FUNDAMENTAL.
Erry government person must have an education of erry type of political regimes and the conditions and activities of life in those regimes.
People must learn of the utter evil actrocities of and by the people under the governance of ADOLPH HITLER, people must learn of STALIN, people must learn of MAO TSE-TUNG, people must know of leaders of western world John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Martin Luther King, Mahatma Ghandi, etcetc. People must know of Democracy versus Communism and host of various types of governing of countries.
Education should be instilled in Bahamian students to cherish and fight for the maintenance of freedoms and rights in order to have maintenance of democracy. Selections of books like George Orwells "Animal Farm" must be in the selection of books mandated for reading.
Democracy, teachings, rights of our beloved Bahamaland must be mandated by authorities in schools teachings, to keep our nation on the right track.
Posted 25 April 2025, 2:44 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
**NOT GETTING HOW** Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell could now warn that documents leaked by a US-based human rights group — purporting to show that Cuban medical professionals in The Bahamas receive a small fraction of their contracted wages — could be part of a broader effort to influence Bahamian public policy and undermine the country’s sovereignty; --- **When in fact, 'twas his ministry'** which would've led **'the coordination'** of Premiership "Brave" Davis 2022 landing in Havana **'to cement'** the same conditions to expand ties of which sets out, --- **precisely the dollar split'** between the Cuban government's **'agents'** and healthcare professionals dispatched to work in the Bahamas? -- And, the minister just might wish to know that out here is a 'real someone' who claims to know lots more as to Its inner how things are to work and of which has yet to be talked about. -- Yes?
Posted 25 April 2025, 6 p.m. Suggest removal
rosiepi says...
The “agency” as shown in the docs was the state of Cuba.
How can you or anyone know the extent by which Cubans were pressured to become slave labourers in foreign countries?
We do know that a nurse’s salary in Cuba is around 4000 Pesos/month, about $200USD
and that toothpaste is 800CUP, eggs are 2700CUP..
So coming to the Bahamas, getting a stipend of less than $1000/month might sound doable (that’s roughly 1/3 of the salary nurses who work alongside them make) until they go to the supermarket, attempt to get to work in a local jitney (driven by a guy on bail for murder) from whatever hell hole Davis&Co has them stashed.
And still no explanation for why Bahamians are robbed of the critical jobs that go unfilled only to have these services provided by foreign workers whose high salaries go where exactly?
Patients sent to foreign lands, and what of those blocked from using their skills acquired through their ‘free scholarships’ to Cuba!
And Darville again knows naught of why!
You like spouting biblical when admonishing us poor sinners, but as Matthew says to all hypocrites: be careful not practice your righteous in front of others to be seen by them.
If you do you will have no reward from God in heaven.
Posted 25 April 2025, 9:14 p.m. Suggest removal
Log in to comment