Cuba Claims to Pay $1,000 Monthly to Its Doctors in Honduras

The Cuban ambassador in Honduras, Juan Roberto Loforte, reported that Cuban doctors on mission in the Central American country receive an approximate salary of $1,000 per month, equivalent to around 25,000 lempiras. In statements to the local press, the official emphasized that some doctors earn a higher amount symbolically, depending on their specialty and the area where they are providing services, as cited by the daily La Prensa.

After considering that they have a "decent salary," he assured that he did not have an exact figure because it depended on the specialty and the location of the doctors, as well as their workload. "It can be around $1,000 per month," explained the ambassador, who pointed out that the doctors are contracted to work eight hours a day.

The Cuban medical professionals are distributed in the main hospitals of the country, having arrived as part of the so-called missions of the regime, despite opposition from the Honduran Medical Association (CMH). This entity claims that some Cuban professionals might be receiving up to $2,000 as symbolic payment for their services, a salary higher than what local professionals earn.

Samuel Santos, president of the CMH, recently stated that in the case of the Cubans, they are paid a salary of $2,000, which they call a "stipend," superior to the fees received by Honduran professionals. Santos told HRN radio that there is no equity in terms of salaries, as while a Honduran specialist earns 35,000 lempiras, a Cuban will receive $2,000 (about 49,520 lempiras).

In February, 89 Cuban doctors arrived in Honduras to work for two years in hospitals across the Central American nation.