Martinez explains that the trip was perfectly legal under the narrow provisions of the travel restrictions in the US embargo against Cuba that allow professionals to travel there for professional research. As other activist organizations have experienced, the government simply never processed the application then publicly claimed that the trip violated the embargo because he did not have the license.

The talk was part of a August 18 event "Cuban vs US Healthcare" put on by the California Universal Health Care Organizing Project in San Francisco as part of the organizing campaign around SB840, Senator Shiela Kuel's "California Universal Healthcare Act".

The World Health Organization has ranked Cuba as #39 in health care quality and the U.S. #37. Cuba spends $251 annually per person and covers everyone without any out-of-pocket costs. The U.S. spends a continually escalating $7,092 per person (about 20% of GNP and the world's highest level of healthcare spending) and currently has between 44 and 48 million people uninsured. Other objective factors are similar between the two countries. The event provided detailed information on how Cuba can do as well and better than the U.S. with so few resources to utilize. (12 minutes)