Relationship dossier
Brazil
Cuba
Relationship assessment
Substantive cooperation in infrastructure, health and diplomacy, alongside political friction over Cuba’s government and medical program.
Brazil toward Cuba
+40Brazil provided state-backed financing for the Port of Mariel and participated in health cooperation that brought Cuban doctors to Brazil through Mais Médicos. Brazil has also repeatedly voted against the U.S. embargo on Cuba at the United Nations. The relationship experienced friction when Brazil withdrew from the doctors’ program in 2018 and its government criticized Cuba.
Cuba toward Brazil
+35Cuba supplied doctors to Brazil through the Mais Médicos program, a concrete bilateral health cooperation initiative. The scale and continuation of other Cuban government cooperation with Brazil are unclear.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship has included sustained cooperation in infrastructure, health and diplomacy, but has also been affected by changes in Brazilian governments and disputes over Cuba’s political system and the Mais Médicos program. These elements support a generally cooperative but politically variable bilateral relationship.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Brazil and Cuba have maintained substantive cooperation, including Brazilian financing for the Port of Mariel and Cuban participation in Brazil’s Mais Médicos program. Brazil has also repeatedly opposed the U.S. embargo on Cuba at the United Nations. Relations have faced political friction, notably Brazil’s withdrawal from the doctors’ program and criticism of Cuba’s government under President Jair Bolsonaro.
Areas of tension
- Brazil’s withdrawal from the Mais Médicos program in 2018 ended Cuban doctors’ participation.
- Brazilian government criticism of Cuba’s political system, particularly under President Jair Bolsonaro.
Key developments
Brazilian state-backed financing supported construction of the Port of Mariel in Cuba.
Cuba supplied doctors to Brazil through the Mais Médicos program.
Cuba ended its participation in Mais Médicos after Brazil’s government announced changes to the program and criticized Cuba’s role.
Brazil voted against the U.S. embargo on Cuba in recurring United Nations resolutions.
Major uncertainties
- The current scope and implementation of bilateral cooperation agreements are unclear.
- The extent of ongoing Brazilian-Cuban trade and technical cooperation is unclear.