Those who survive day by day without running water for weeks, suffer from hours or days of power cuts, and have to queue weekly for gas cylinders cannot be forced into their homes. The Venezuelan situation is not the same as that of countries whose populations can endure mandatory quarantine or isolation.
In this emergency situation it is important that those who exercise political leadership in Venezuela reach agreement to protect the lives of the most vulnerable and to guarantee them dignified living conditions, while we face the serious impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
First, it is crucial that a high-level, interdisciplinary and inter-institutional group is created, consisting of experts who are appointed without ideological-political considerations, from the fields of health, food, economics, community organization, to coordinate the national response to the COVID- 19. This group must have the capacity and independence to take action and have links with international humanitarian agencies and national and international civil society organizations. The actions of the National Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies must be kept accountable for the powers they are granted.
This group should also have unrestricted access to public information and a joint voice in the government response. The population must be regularly informed about the challenges posed by the health, economic and humanitarian situation and the gaps in resources throughout the country, as well as about progress in the decisions and actions, through public and private media, in open press conferences. This is the way to generate confidence in the population.
In order to take urgent action to threat posed by COVID-19, the politicians and actors that are currently disputing the power vacuum in the country must come to an agreement. On the one hand, the government of Nicolas Maduro, who has de facto control over the country’s response and the power to allow the international community to provide humanitarian assistance to cover areas of need so that medicine, supplies, food can come into the country and be effectively distributed through it.
On the other hand, the National Assembly and its President, Mr. Juan Guaidó, have the trust and recognition of 60 governments and multilateral financial institutions, and could very quickly request the conditional relaxation of general sanctions and approve financial and in-kind resources to help the population. The Government and the National Assembly are essential to the implementation of the response needed to save lives and to provide conditions of decency for the country’s most vulnerable people.
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Feliciano Reyna Ganteaume | Radio Free (2020-04-06T00:00:00+00:00) Venezuela calls for agreements on dignity and life in the face of Covid-19. Retrieved from https://www.radiofree.org/2020/04/06/venezuela-calls-for-agreements-on-dignity-and-life-in-the-face-of-covid-19/
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