Monday, April 28, 2025
By EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said the government is working with Cuba to address concerns after leaked documents and mounting US pressure suggested that Cuban medical professionals receive less than a fifth of what The Bahamas pays for their services.
The US has warned that visa restrictions could be imposed on foreign government officials involved in Cuba’s labour export programme.
Leaked documents published by the Free Society Project (Cuba Archive) earlier this month suggest that while The Bahamas agreed in 2023 to pay thousands of dollars per month for each Cuban health worker, it also agreed for the professionals to receive monthly stipends ranging from $990 to $1,200, with the remainder going to Comercializadora de Servicios Médicos Cubanos, SA (CSMC), the Cuban state agency managing the deployments.
To date, no Bahamian official has denied that Cuban professionals receive less than 20 percent of the funds paid on their behalf.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Mr Davis said: “We are talking through that. I mean, we have been engaged in it. We understand what their concerns are and we are talking with the Cuban government as well about those concerns. And we see that this will be resolved very quickly, because we understand the concerns, and we too will be concerned when certain things are interpreted.”
Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said last week that the figures in the leaked documents appeared “skewed” to make the playments to Cuban workers look low, saying he would compare them to the agreements he signed. Since then, he has not presented evidence disputing the fundamental claims. The US government regards Cuba Archive as a credible source of information about abuses involved in Cuba’s medical missions programme.
US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Kimberly Furnish reiterated on Friday that the United States is closely monitoring the situation.
“Our concerns really are that the money is not going to the actual labourers themselves, and we want to adhere to international norms in terms of human rights and making sure that workers are paid fairly and not exploited by their government, and that’s our major concern, here,” she said.
Last week, Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell said the leaked documents were “purloined” and could be part of a broader effort to influence Bahamian public policy and undermine national sovereignty.
Ms Furnish responded the United States’ major concern is ensuring that workers are paid directly, retain their passports, and maintain their liberties, adding that this message was sent to every country as part of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s broader focus on human rights practices.
Comments
hrysippus says...
Cuban doctors get less pay, .
Than what they earn on a working day.
The Cuban gubmint gets the rest, .
Seems to be a lil’ bit socialist. .
Bahamas gubmint really don’t care, .
Saying this is all just a Cuban affair. .
Then the USA shakes that visa stick, .
FillUp and Fred change mind right quick. .
Free luxury travel at our expense, .
Losing that would make no sense. .
Will blow some whistles and ring some bells,
Saying anything they that jus' might sells. .
Claiming innocence, that they knew nothing, .
Screening smoke while Huff and puffing…… .
Sigh.
Posted 28 April 2025, 10:27 a.m. Suggest removal
CaptainCoon says...
This is exactly what Rubio was talking about. But our Woke DEI PM said it wasn't so!
This is a disgrace!
Posted 28 April 2025, 11:05 a.m. Suggest removal
sheeprunner12 says...
Still waiting to see the Cuban teachers documents.
They get treated far worst than the doctors.
And that's been going on for 20+ years .......
Posted 28 April 2025, 11:55 a.m. Suggest removal
bahamianson says...
Every leader potentially knew what was going on, but chose to turn their head. The Cuban Doctors and Nurses did not negotiate their salaries, their government did. They were not in control of the situation. Can you imagine , you better work for us , we will get 80% of your salary. If you defect to the United States, your family in Cuba will be affected. What do you do? If you go to the states, your family is targeted. So, what do you do? You go to the Bahamas and work . You take home 80% and shut up. Sounds like slavery to me . But, a layman can see and our politicians can not.
Posted 28 April 2025, 12:48 p.m. Suggest removal
sheeprunner12 says...
Still waiting to see the Cuban teachers documents.
They get treated far worst than the doctors.
And that's been going on for 20+ years .......
Posted 28 April 2025, 1:38 p.m. Suggest removal
hj says...
Every time an embarrassing fact is being revealed the PM is "playing dumb" claiming that he knew nothing about it. I think this trick is getting old really so try something different next time.
Posted 28 April 2025, 2:23 p.m. Suggest removal
ExposedU2C says...
The exploited Cuban workers have been getting the benefit of less than 20 cents on the dollar of every single dollar our Public Treasury has been paying out in respect of this modern day cross-border slavery scheme.
Documents possessed by the US government apparently show that the corrupt Cuban government officials overseeing the Cuban state agency managing the deployments were pocketing for themselves about 40 cents of every dollar the labour export programme received from foreign countries like the Bahamas. That means the remaining 40 cents of every dollar borne by our Public Treasury has somehow worked its way into the pockets of one or more of our own corrupt ruling political elite.
The exploited Cuban medical workers and teachers involved, the Cuban people as a whole, the under-paid Bahamian medical workers and teachers, and the Bahamian taxpayers, have all been royally screwed out of mega millions of dollars over many years as a result of the corrupt and unconscionably rapacious individuals who have been personally profiteering off of this most disgusting modern day cross-border slave trade.
Unless a good portion of the unaccounted for money over many years has made its way into Davis's own coffers through his law firm, he would be wise to spill all the beans before he finds he can no longer travel to the US whenever he gets ill.
Posted 28 April 2025, 2:40 p.m. Suggest removal
Empiricist says...
That’s only a third of the problem. The other two thirds is the chains the Government of the Bahamas and the Government of Cuba hold over the heads, hands and feet of the enslaved professionals working in the Bahamas and around the world. Please tell us why these professionals are unable to seek political asylum in the Bahamas and the other countries where they are exploited? In a free and democratic society they should be free to say that’s enough of this exploitation and seek asylum. However, the chains that Cuban government have around them and which the Bahamian government are knowing partners makes it difficult for these professionals to free themselves from the shackles of slavery. Just by permitting these exploited professionals to seek and gain political and economic asylum, the Bahamian government will be demonstrating that they do not just give lip service to a range of International Labor Conventions and start to whittle away a major source of foreign exchange the Communist Government of Cuba is dependent on. If we start it here it will spread to the democracies around the world where the other Cuban professionals are entrapped.
And Government of the USA can help in a major way by granting asylum to and facilitating the employment of these workers in America.
Posted 28 April 2025, 3:58 p.m. Suggest removal
rosiepi says...
Davis&Co should be concerned as to how things are interpreted by their largest trading partner especially given D&C just accused the US Attorney of unethical behavior!
And if the US State hadn’t challenged them, and outed their other corrupt dealings Bahamians would never have known how this latest corruption reveal affects their own health and the costs, monetary and otherwise.
When one considers the black economic hole that is the PHA, this particular corruption is just one page in a ginormous data file.
A secret contract shows the bulk of their wages, more than double the salaries of Bahamians in the same roles revert back to a Communist regime who owns their labour.
PHA and the NIH are paying for “ophthalmologists” hand picked by Cuba, not our own doctors to ‘examine’ candidates for surgery in Cuban clinics.
Our ambassador crowed that 30-50 eye patients have journeyed to Cuba every week for surgeries since 2023.
Are they necessary? What are the odds corrupt actors making $$$ off each recommended surgery would skew towards $$ and not a patient’s well being?
We’re beyond any question re:Davis&Co’s involvement, what’s the cut they’re making literally off the bodies of Bahamians?
What other surgeries are being performed fraudulently here and/or abroad, who’s recommending those, who is caring for these patients upon their return home?
And who was granted the favour of contracts to house these workers and how much are they really being paid in $$, ‘gifts in kind’ and favours?
Are these persons so housed limited to Cubans?
One thing is certain, there is no way in hell much less the Bahamas that $12000/yr per person covers all the benefits and costs referenced in those contracts!
Posted 28 April 2025, 3:58 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
Trails of blood as Guyana is exploding with police firing live rounds into media and hospital. Get your family out. -- Yes?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vmihb0i…
Posted 28 April 2025, 5:59 p.m. Suggest removal
pileit says...
This has got to be some kind of mistake. Mitchell the maloderous mouthpiece emitted a word salad the other day telling all his peons not to listen to “unfounded rumors”. Why would the nation’s appointed leader need to discuss anything with Cuba, its all hearsay right? That slow monotonic drawl Mitchell subjects us to speaks truth, right?
Posted 29 April 2025, 7:41 a.m. Suggest removal
mandela says...
And all this concern is coming from a country that is punishing Cuba, left, right, and center with embargo's. How hypocritical. 🤔
And all Bahamians can see is PLP verses FNM, politics, politics, politics.
Posted 29 April 2025, 12:01 p.m. Suggest removal
ExposedU2C says...
You are obviously ignorant of the relevant history behind the ruthless communist regime that still controls Cuba to this very day. It is an appallingly brutal and evil history that Secretary of State Rubio is all too well acquainted with.
Posted 3 May 2025, 9:09 p.m. Suggest removal
Log in to comment