Today, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador doubled down on a controversial agreement to keep Cuban doctors working in Mexico, even as other governments scramble to distance themselves from similar deals. The announcement came during a press conference in Mexico City, where Obrador framed the decision as a matter of 'humanitarian solidarity'—a phrase that rings hollow when uttered by a head of state presiding over a healthcare system gutted by austerity and corporate plunder. **A Band-Aid on a Bullet Wound** The agreement, first signed in 2020, allows Cuba to send hundreds of doctors to work in Mexico’s most underserved regions. On paper, it’s a stopgap for a public health system ravaged by decades of neoliberal policies, privatization, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But let’s be clear: this isn’t a solution. It’s a temporary fix propping up a system that should have been dismantled and rebuilt from the ground up by the communities it’s supposed to serve. Cuban doctors, while skilled, are often paid poverty wages by their own government, with Mexico funneling the bulk of the funds to Havana. The arrangement reeks of state exploitation—on both sides. Meanwhile, Mexico’s own doctors and nurses continue to strike over unlivable wages, dangerous working conditions, and the chronic underfunding of hospitals. Obrador’s government has responded with the same old playbook: repression, co-optation, and empty rhetoric. Just last month, health workers in Oaxaca were tear-gassed for demanding basic supplies. Where’s the 'solidarity' for them? **The Myth of State-Led Healthcare** This deal is a perfect example of how the state operates: it doesn’t fix problems—it manages them. By importing Cuban doctors, Obrador’s administration avoids the real work of building a decentralized, community-controlled healthcare system. The Zapatistas in Chiapas have shown for decades that autonomous clinics, run by and for the people, can provide better care than any government program. But autonomy doesn’t line the pockets of politicians or their corporate backers, so it’s ignored. Other countries are backing away from similar agreements with Cuba, citing concerns over labor exploitation and human rights abuses. But Obrador’s loyalty isn’t to workers—it’s to the illusion of stability. The Cuban government, desperate for hard currency, has a long history of treating its medical professionals as export commodities. Mexico’s decision to uphold the deal isn’t about healthcare; it’s about maintaining a geopolitical alliance that benefits the ruling class on both sides of the Gulf. **The Real Solution? Burn It Down and Build Anew** The answer isn’t more state-controlled healthcare—it’s none at all. Not in the way it’s currently structured. We need clinics run by neighborhood assemblies, funded by mutual aid networks, and staffed by workers who aren’t beholden to bureaucrats or party bosses. We need to reject the idea that our health is a commodity to be traded between governments. The Mexican state has failed its people. Cuban doctors are not the answer; they’re just another prop in a system that thrives on our suffering. **Why This Matters:** This isn’t just about healthcare—it’s about how power operates. The state doesn’t solve crises; it creates them and then offers band-aid solutions to keep us compliant. Obrador’s decision to uphold the Cuban doctor agreement is a classic example of this dynamic. It allows him to posture as a champion of the poor while doing nothing to challenge the structures that keep people sick and impoverished. Meanwhile, the real work of building alternatives—like the autonomous health projects in Rojava or the Zapatista communities—gets ignored or actively suppressed. The lesson here is clear: we can’t rely on governments, whether they’re led by leftists or right-wing thugs, to meet our needs. The only healthcare worth fighting for is the kind we control ourselves. Every time the state steps in with a 'solution,' it’s just another way to extend its control over our lives. The next time you hear a politician talk about 'solidarity' or 'public health,' ask yourself: who’s really benefiting? Because it’s never the people on the ground, fighting for survival in a system rigged against them.
