Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a misleading, error-filled report about Cuba’s medical missions, calling them “repressive” and asking governments receiving the doctors to “press for change.” Yes, these are the same missions for which Cuban doctors have volunteered to give poor people medical attention in 164 countries over the past 60 years, and that are now fighting COVID-19 in nearly 40 countries. 

HRW presents itself as a global leader in the defense of human rights, yet it has a history of pushing for regime change and sanctions against Latin American countries. Let HRW know that they are being watched, that their work has been fact checked and that we won’t stand for a “human rights” organization that maligns an inspiring medical program that is saving lives all over the world.

Click here to demand that Human Rights Watch retract its shameful report about Cuba’s medical missions!

The report distorts some of the rules governing the missions, uses flawed sources and relies on a tiny sample size of disgruntled professionals to draw generalized conclusions of the medical mission program as a whole. The report has been thoroughly refuted by an analysis from the Organizing Committee of the Nobel for Cuban Doctors Campaign that also calls out HRW for ignoring the biggest violation of the human rights of Cubans: the illegal blockade imposed by the U.S. since 1960. 

HRW has shamefully joined in on a campaign led by the Trump administration and his Republican allies, Senators Marco Rubio, Rick Scott and Ted Cruz, to demonize this amazing example of international solidarity. The medical professionals who work in Cuba’s medical missions are volunteers and get a salary boost when they go abroad. To characterize them as victims of human trafficking is to ignore the deep humanism that moves many of them. It is shameful that HRW would publish a flawed report that seeks to pressure countries for receiving Cuban aid in the middle of a pandemic!

So who watches Human Rights Watch? We do! Click here to demand that HRW retract its report about Cuba’s medical missions! 

CODEPINK is proud to be part of a coalition that wants to nominate Cuba’s Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. That is why we were so incensed to read a report with so many errors and misrepresentations. The full rebuttal to this report is available on the Cuba Nobel website, click here to read it. 

In solidarity,
Leonardo, Michelle, Teri and Medea

P.S. There are two great webinars coming up that you won’t want to miss. On this week’s WTF webinar, airing Wednesday at 12pm ET, Teri Mattson will interview Carlos Lazo - an doctor who just biked 3,000 miles to build bridges of love between Cuba and the US. 

On Tuesday, August 18, at 7 pm ET, Leonardo Flores will be joined by Dr. Adrienne Pine and human rights lawyer Dan Kovalik to discuss the latest in the plot to overthrow the Venezuelan government. Click here to register!