Bolivarian government guarantees access to health despite the economic blockade

From Geneva, Switzerland, where the 72nd World Health Assembly takes place, the People’s Power Minister for Health, Carlos Alvarado, denounced the consequences of the economic blockade on health, imposed against Venezuela since 2014 with the unusual and extraordinary threat statement dictated by former President Barack Obama and continued under the administration of Donald Trump. These measures adopted by the US government unleashed the blockade of the necessary payments for the acquisition of medicines and supplies for health, hindering access to goods and raw materials to offer assistance to the Venezuelan people. The Venezuelan Minister made it clear that these actions have only one objective and it is the overthrow of the legitimate government presided over the head of state, Nicolás Maduro, who despite the financial blockade against Venezuela has established cooperation with countries such as Russia, China , Turkey, Palestine to face the criminal sanctions. Likewise, the national government has deepened the cooperation relations with the United Nations System in the field of health and with International Organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. “These measures cause death and suffering to the Venezuelan people, totally violate human rights”, said the minister. Alvarado added that only in two European banks, Venezuela has more than two thousand five hundred million euros withheld. Not to mention the misappropriation of our Citgo company in the US, which financed bone marrow transplant treatments for Venezuelan children. Despite the financial blockade imposed by the United States, Alvarado stressed that during the Bolivarian Revolution, access to health was expanded with a 397% growth in the establishments network of the National Public Health System. Likewise, the Minister highlighted that the training of health professionals has grown by more than 50%, letting Venezuela a continuous improvement in the indicators related to this subject. In his speech, Alvarado said that the most serious problem Venezuelans are facing “is the criminal blockade of the US government with its continual threat of invasion, war and death, which without a doubt would bring very regrettable consequences, not only for Venezuela but also for the Latin American and Caribbean Region”. Finally, he asked the countries that make up the World Health Organization (WHO) to join the call to end the economic blockade against Venezuela.