"I have no intention whatsoever of going to Disney," says Padilha after US sanctions.
Health Minister criticizes US decision and states that restrictions do not affect the defense of the More Doctors program.
247 - Brazilian Health Minister Alexandre Padilha reacted on Tuesday (19) to sanctions imposed by the United States government against his family members, downplaying the personal impact of the measure. Padilha mocked the decision, stating that he has “no intention whatsoever of going to Disney” and described the action as an act of “cowardice”. The information is from CNN Brazil.
Criticism of the United States' measures
According to Padilha, the restrictions announced by President Donald Trump do not weaken the continuity and defense of the Mais Médicos program, which has been the target of US accusations. In a statement signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Washington justified the cancellation of visas as punishment for "complicity with the Cuban regime's scheme to export labor."
The minister highlighted the practical effect on his relatives: “The biggest impact for my family is the fact that I have a brother who is an American citizen, who lives in the United States. I have my father's wife who lives in the United States (…) So, we will meet in other places, right?”, he declared.
Family members and former members of the ministry were also affected.
According to a statement released by the U.S. Consulate General in São Paulo, Padilha's family members were informed last week about the cancellation of their visas. In addition to them, other names linked to the Ministry of Health were also targeted by the measure, such as Mozart Julio Tabosa Sales, the current Secretary of Specialized Care, and Alberto Kleiman, former general coordinator of COP30 and former director of External Relations at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
Possible participation in an international event.
Despite the sanctions, Alexandre Padilha said he is still evaluating whether he will participate in the next PAHO conference, which will be held in the United States. The minister stressed that the participation of official representatives in multilateral organizations cannot be blocked by any government.
“I haven’t decided yet whether I will be able to participate or not, but if I do participate, a serious agreement must certainly allow an authority invited by these UN and PAHO systems. No country in the world can prevent an authority from participating in an event like this,” he stated.
