It seems that Mexico is negotiating with Cuba to receive the doctors from Brazil's Mais Medicos program, canceled by Brazilian president-elect Bolsonaro. This is a thread on why they are leaving Brazil and what this means for Mexico google.com.mx/amp/s/www.cuba…
Bolsonaro denounced the program because the Cuban doctors had not passed a proficiency exam in Brazil and because the majority of their salary was going to finance the Cuban government, funding a dictatorship. In total, there were 8,332 Cuban Doctors in Brazil.
It seems that Mexico is only planning to absorb 3000 of those. These doctors cost Brazil R$11,865.60/month each (about USD$3,000/Month), of which 70% went to the Cuban government, 5% to PAHO, and 25% to the doctors.
This means that, in Brazil, the doctors' take home pay was USD$750/month. It is a living wage, but by no means extravagant. It is the equivalent of what an entry level office worker with a college degree would earn. Same in Mexico.
Now, it may be that Mexico needs more doctors. But really, it is Cuba that needs these doctors abroad. It is a great money-making scheme for the Cuban regime. Cuba made USD$2,147/month on every doctor, which (x 8,332 docs) meant almost 18 million USD /month going to Cuban coffers
We don't yet know what the final agreement for Mexico will look like. But if the numbers stay the same, the AMLO administration will end up transferring USD$6,5 million/month (USD$80mi/year) to Cuba, rather than injecting it in the Mexican economy.
