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The US revoked visas for Brazilian officials, ex-PAHO staff, and families, accusing them of aiding Cuba's Mais Médicos program linked to forced labor, including two former Brazilian Health Ministry officials.
Rubio announced the revocation of visas via a press release. (Photo: Reuters)
New Delhi,UPDATED: Aug 14, 2025 03:51 IST
The US State Department has revoked and restricted visas for multiple Brazilian government officials, former Pan American Health Organisation staff, and their family members over alleged involvement in forced labor linked to Cuba’s Mais Mdicos program, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday.
The state department announced the visa revocations via a press release.
Among those targeted are Mozart Julio Tabosa Sales and Alberto Kleiman, whom the State Department accused of helping implement the program while serving in Brazil’s Ministry of Health.
In a press statement released on Wednesday, the US department of state mentioned that it will "take the action needed to bring an end to such forced labour."
Mozart Julio Tabosa Sales oversaw the Mais Mdicos program as Brazil’s secretary of Labor Management and Health Education and now serves as secretary of Specialised Health Care at the Ministry of Health.
During the program’s operation, Alberto Kleiman was a special advisor to the Health Ministry and headed its international relations department. He later became director of external relations, partnerships, and resource mobilisation at the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and now holds a similar role at the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Kleiman is also a defendant in a lawsuit filed by Cuban doctors against PAHO.
- Ends
With inputs from Reuters
Published By:
Ishita Bajpai
Published On:
Aug 14, 2025
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