Scientists demand U.S. to lift sanctions against Venezuela

In a statement, researchers from Venezuela’s science centers demand Donald Trump’s government to lift «the «criminals and inhuman» unilateral coercive measures against Venezuela amid COVID-19 pandemic. Full statement: Today, capitalism is showing its most perverse face as a neoliberal system that decides who lives and who does not in the midst of a global health crisis worsened by the COVID-19 outbreak. The mercantilist decision of sentencing to death and deprive senior citizens of their human rights confirms the real urgency and need to say that it is enough of the violence and oppression of a model of civilization that destroys life and has caused a global crisis. Under capitalism’s umbrella, they try to make us believe that coronavirus is the cause of the problems faced by the world today, when it is crystal clear that behind this crisis, there is a variant of the neoliberal pattern and its flow of destruction. It is sad to see how some countries give precedence to money over life in the face of the alarming figures of this pandemic. They do not care about those people who cannot pay for their health! They do not care about stopping the spread of this virus! It is the expression of a capitalist system that kills and that has taken over all spaces. In the midst of this scenario and an asphyxiating imperial siege, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela must maneuver to protect the people’s health and life after confirming the first COVID-19 cases. It is an unprecedented, extraordinary effort, and we have certainly faced problems! The U.S. government insists on keeping measures not only against the Venezuelan people, but against humankind. It is unfair, inhuman and unacceptable that the U.S. government keeps unilateral, coercive measures as an act of war to force other governments to submit to its imperial interests by inflicting suffering to their people. «Sanctions» are a crime against humanity that flagrantly violate international law. Venezuela relies on high-qualified professionals who are committed, and work to face COVID-19. Unfortunately, the U.S. keeps its illegal measures and makes it harder for our scientific research work to attend to the Venezuela people. Our country has domestically and internationally renowned researchers with a significant research ability and scientific innovation in fields such as immunology, virology, epidemiology and treatment of infections, but such an ability has been harmed due to the lack of a number of reagents and other supplies that haven’t been purchased due to the coercive measures imposed by the Trump administration on our country and its constant persecution against the Venezuelan people. If the U.S. lifted today its criminal blockade against Venezuela, we would have greater opportunities and better conditions to attend to our population and conduct research on this virus in our country to avoid a wider spread of this pandemic. «Sanctions» cause suffering to the people, but in the midst of a global crisis like the one we are facing, they could be lethal since they restrict the import of medicines, food and medical supplies and equipment. Considering the above, and pursuant to the social, complete quarantine voluntarily observed by the Venezuelan people  and government throughout the country as a preventative and containment measure, we strongly demand the U.S. to lift the unilateral, coercive measures against Venezuela , and to put an end to the violation of the Venezuelan people’s human rights and violations to international law. Likewise, we express our complete support to the preventative and control measures against coronavirus adopted by the Bolivarian Government, headed by the legitimate President of the Republic Nicolás Maduro, since they have scientific support, they are based on locally appropriate technologies, and rely on the support of specialists, research and health centers in the country, and on the cooperation with other fraternal countries. We especially `praise the humanist conscience of the Venezuelan government to face this crisis by giving precedence to life and its responsibility to protect the people with a public healthcare system. We reiterate our will to pursue knowledge for the benefit of the people, and to move forward with a new, fairer and more human model of civilization that can definitely free the people from neoliberal capitalism. Polo Científico Público de Venezuela Caracas, March 24, 2020