Operación Milagro (English:
Operation Miracle; also
Misión Milagro in Venezuela) is a program of international solidarity launched in 2004 by the governments of
Cuba and Venezuela to provide
free medical treatment for people with eye problems.
(...)
Clinics like in Uruguay will scout out patients in rural areas,
performing surgeries that would cost at least $5,000 for free. Hospital Saint Bois in Uruguay, which houses the José Martí Ophthalmology Clinic, reported 50,000 surgeries in seven years.
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In accordance with Cuban internationalist medical programs created at this time,
an ulterior motive to the program is political legitimacy for Cuba and greater economic agency. Working in programs like Operación Milagro
instills patriotism in Cuban doctors, furthered by the Cuban government's monetary incentives for participating personnel.
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The United States, critical of the Cuban government and the ALBA's function in Latin America, remains steadfast in attempting to maintain its sphere of influence. WikiLeaks revealed that
the United States government was influencing Mexican president Felipe Calderón to resist medical assistance in Mexico through Operación Milagro. Right wing governments have also shown pushback against the expansion of the program, including Panama, where the government created its own program to combat Cuba's. In Peru, the conservative government of Alan García ended ties with Operación Milagro, also noting that they had their own program, which was not only domestic but also more limited in scope.
Other nations have accused Cuba of overtaking their professional healthcare systems, worried that Cuban doctors would overshadow medical competition.
Operación Milagro (Wikipedia)
