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A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 16 November 2018

Cuba ends medical exchange program with Brazil

By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN critics say is designed to
MARCELO de SOUSA prevent doctors from emi-
Associated Press grating.
HAVANA (AP) — Cuba said "Mas Medicos" started five
Wednesday that it is end- years ago under leftist Pres-
ing a program that sent ident Dilma Rousseff.
thousands of government Cuba said roughly 20,000
doctors to underserved re- doctors saw millions of pa-
gions of Brazil in exchange tients in areas such as the
for hundreds of millions in Amazon rainforest and
badly needed hard cur- slums of major cities.
rency. Cuba maintains similar mis-
The end of the "Mas Medi- sions in 67 other countries
cos," or "More Doctors," but "Mas Medicos" was one
program signals a sharp of the largest and most im-
deterioration in relations portant, serving as a link be-
between communist Cuba tween the cash-strapped
and Brazil, which just elect- island and South America's
ed far-right presidential largest economy.
candidate Jair Bolsonaro. "Cubans have provided a
He takes office Jan. 1. valuable service to the Bra-
Cuba made the an- zilian people with dignity,
nouncement after Bolson- deep sensitivity, profes-
aro said the program over- In this Aug. 30, 2013 file photo, Cuban doctors observe a dental procedure during a a training sionality, dedication and
seen by the World Health session at a health clinic in Brasilia, Brazil. altruism," Cuban President
Organization could only Associated Press Miguel Diaz-Canel wrote
continue if doctors direct- them during their assign- generally keeps most of "international missions." Par- on Twitter.
ly received their salaries ments, among other condi- the salaries of state em- ticipants also are generally "Such humane acts
from Brazil, and were able tions. ployees working abroad as barred from bringing family should be respected and
to bring their families with The Cuban government part of the socialist state's members in a measure that defended."q

Argentine Senate approves austerity budget for IMF deal

Associated Press The budget aims to cut IMF spokesman Gerry Rice
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina the primary deficit before told reporters in Washing-
(AP) — Argentine lawmak- debt payments to zero — ton that passage of the
ers approved an austerity down from 2.6 percent of budget law was a "very
budget for 2019 on Thurs- GDP this year.Critics say it positive step" that "points
day, cutting social spend- slashes social spending by to a clear commitment by
ing and raising debt pay- 35 percent once inflation the Argentine authorities
ments to meet conditions is accounted for. The ex- and a broad spectrum of
for expanded financing pected blow to education, Argentina's political forces
from the International Mon- culture and housing outlays to strength the country's
etary Fund.The budget ap- prompted street protests in economic policies."
proved Thursday by the the capital during the de- Rice also said that IMF chief
Senate projects a 0.5 per- bate.It also calls for a 50 Christine Lagarde is likely to
cent slide in GDP and a 23 percent increase in debt meet Argentine President
percent inflation rate by service payments in peso Mauricio Macri during the
the end of 2019, down from terms.The cuts were called Nov.30-Dec.1 Group of 20
Argentine senators debate 2019 budget proposals in Buenos
Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018. an expected 44 percent for in a $6.3 billion addition summit of world leaders
Associated Press this year. It was approved to a $50 billion IMF credit that will take place in Bue-
earlier by the lower house. line approved in June. nos Aires.q