AMLO negotiates with Cuba to hire some 3,000 doctors asked to leave Brazil for Mexico

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The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), negotiates since last September with Cuba the contract of “at least 3,000” of the doctors of the Island retired by the Government of Miguel Díaz-Canel of Brazil after Jair Bolsonaro, The elected head of the Brazilian Executive will condition the continuity of the Mais Médicos Program so that Cuban professionals receive their full salary, pass a revalidation test and can remain in Brazilian territory with their families during the three years that the collaboration lasts.

Cuba did not accept the conditions of Bolsonaro and announced on November 14 the unilateral withdrawal of its doctors from Brazil, leaving 611 Brazilian municipalities without medical coverage. By that date, the agreement with López-Obrador was already advanced, according to Estadao.com.

López Obrador has taken office this Saturday with austerity and the fight against corruption as flags. His intention is to cut the salary of public officials, including doctors, so the collaboration with Cuba would help in that regard.

The negotiations between AMLO and Havana have been carried out by the Mexican side Lázaro Cárdenas Batel, coordinator of advisors to the Presidency of Mexico. He would have negotiated with representatives of the government of Miguel Díaz-Canel and of Lula Da Silva and Dilma Rousseff, of Brazil, represented by former Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim. Between all, they seek to adapt the Mais Médicos to the Mexican reality.

Cárdenas Batel, married to Cuban Mayra Coffigny, is a well-known Mexican leftist with ties of friendship with the Workers Party of Brazil and with Lula Da Silva for at least 15 years.

He also maintains positions close to the Government of the Island. During his tenure as governor of Michoacán, he hired about 400 Cuban officials, above all, teachers assigned to literacy programs; although there were also doctors and artists.

Some sources point to the wife of Cárdenas Batel (Mayra Coffigny) as a key player in the negotiations since she would never have hidden her admiration for Fidel Castro.

As has happened in Brazil, Cuban doctors who participate in the collaboration program will receive only a quarter of their salary.

More than half of Mexicans do not have any type of Social Security benefits. A program like Mais Médicos is unprecedented in Mexico.

Source: telegram, cibercuba

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