I’m confused, the human trafficking implies those people didn’t consent but ij the article they call them mercenaries for hire. Which is it?
I didn’t read the article, but consider the fact that Cuba is a country many people want to leave. Then a guy comes along saying “Hey, we’ll give you Russian citizenship and you can leave”. Even if they agree, it’s predatory
Is Cuba really that horrible a place that their citizens think Russia is an improvement?
Human traffickers tend to not be very honest.
But there’s a reason why Cuban citizens can’t leave the country legally (it’s not the free healthcare).
As of January 14, 2013, all Cuban government-imposed travel restrictions and controls have been abolished. Since that date, any Cuban citizen, with a valid passport, can leave the country at will, without let or hindrance from the Cuban authorities.
Thanks for sharing, I didn’t know that. I still had the “from Cuba to Florida on a raft” image of the situation. Still, wouldn’t that leave poverty as the main barrier?
Poverty is the main barrier for people from any country leaving their country
Yes, the cost of a passport (charged by the Cuban government) is now a barrier. Also, they may not allow you to leave if you are a doctor, baseball player, communist official, etc.
So yes, people can “leave” now if they have a lot of money and permission from the government. It’s nothing like a free country.
They use their doctors as educated slave labor:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cuba-trafficking-idUSKBN1WC00X
https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/07/23/cuba-repressive-rules-doctors-working-abroad