ECUADOR
FACTS
Cumulative: 3,565
Mission status: Not active
AGREEMENTS
MOST RECENT AGREEMENT
Cooperation Framework Agreement
DURATION: 10 YEARS
BEGAN: 2009
AGREEMENT SIGNER: Ecuador’s
Ministry of Health
PREVIOUS AGREEMENTS
One-time assistance (since 1986)
Technical and Medical Cooperation
Assistance Agreement (1992)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Geographic areas: 23 of Ecuador’s 24
provinces.
Health areas: Epidemiology,
transplantology, physical therapy,
imaging technology and radiology,
ophthalmology, and angiology.
Contracts obtained: NO
Agreements obtained: Yes
Laws available: NO
Current figures:
• Active personnel: None
• Defections: 100 (estimated)
• Did not return to Cuba: 200 (est.)
• Prohibited from returning: 100 (est.)
Media available: Yes
Official data available: Yes
Violations documented: Yes
Cases before UN/ICC: Yes
Cases in courts: NO
Most relevant violations: Confiscation
of passport, mandatory residences
assigned, not allowed to stay
somewhere else overnight without
permission, restrictions on movement
inside the country, not allowed to
maintain relations with nationals
without permission, and monitoring by
supervisor and colleagues.

SUMMARY

Cuba’s medical cooperation with Ecuador began in 1992, although in 1986 Cuba sent the Henry Reeve Medical Brigade after severe flooding that affected the South American nation (the brigade also assisted in 2001 during the dengue epidemic and in 2016 following an earthquake). In 2006, Operation Miracle was launched, bringing 153 collaborators to Ecuador. In 2009, under President Rafael Correa, Ecuador signed various medical cooperation agreements with Cuba. One of these agreements established the Manuela Espejo program, Cuban medical workers counted and diagnosed persons with disabilities throughout the country. Through another agreement, signed in 2013, 293 Cuban doctors provided assistance to 52 healthcare institutions throughout the country. In addition, hundreds of Ecuadorians have graduated from the Latin American School of Medicine in Havana. During these missions, the workers were instructed by their supervisors to sell large amounts of the Cuban medicine HEBERPRO-B, even when patients did not need this, in order to bring in more revenue. Each worker received a monthly stipend of 700 USD. In November 2019 Ecuador decided to not renew the six medical cooperation agreements with Cuba after it was discovered that close to 250 Cubans carrying official passports entered the country, although it was discovered that these did not have a work relationship with Ecuador’s Ministry of Health. At that time there were 382 Cuban doctors, and the positions they left vacant after returning to Cuba were offered to nationals.

DOCUMENTED CASES

Anonymous: 3
Link to questionnaires

Not anonymous: None
Public (media): None

Link to press statement
Findings from cases: Confiscation of passport, mandatory residences assigned, not allowed to stay somewhere else overnight without permission, restrictions on movement inside the country, not allowed to maintain relations with nationals without permission, and monitoring by supervisor and colleagues.

NAMES OF CHIEFS OF MISSIONS

Dr. Fernando Trujillo, Medical Brigade Chief, 2019
Dr. María Isabel Martínez, Medical Brigade Chief, 2014-2019

RELEVANT NEWS ARTICLES AND OTHER ITEMS

Ecuador anuncia fin de la colaboración médica cubana
Ecuador pone fin a la colaboración médica con Cuba
MINSAP: Colaboradores cubanos en Ecuador regresan a la patria
Suspende Ecuador convenio de cooperación en salud con Cuba
Primer grupo de médicos cubanos regresa desde Ecuador tras fin de convenios
Cuba y Ecuador confirman fin de pactos médicos y científicos
Ecuador firma cinco convenios de salud con Cuba