Venezuela submits proposals to ILO amid fight against COVID-19 - MPPRE

Venezuela submits proposals to ILO amid fight against COVID-19

Minister of People’s Power for the Social Process of Labor Eduardo Piñate participated on Thursday, July 9, in the World Summit of the International Labor Organization (ILO), and, on behalf of the Venezuelan government, he brought forward proposals aimed at mitigating the effects of COVID-19.

The Venezuelan official urged to resume border coordination for an organized opening of borders and effectively contain the spread of the virus. In addition, Piñate requested ILO to adopt a declaration condemning “xenophobia and stigmatization of migrants in the world” who have been affected by the sanitary emergency, and proposed the suspension of foreign debt payment.

In his speech, via video conference, Minister Piñate rejected the unilateral coercive measures imposed by the U.S. and its allies, which limit the action of many governments amid the pandemic, and therefore he called for their immediate eradication since they harm the population and hinder “progress in the labor sector.”

The Venezuelan minister highlighted the quick response against COVID-19 given by the Bolivarian Government to the population, and even when it has been targeted by “these criminal attacks,” it has managed to implement protection and preventive measures recognized by the United Nations to avoid the propagation of this disease.

“Our Government is determined to favor the lives and health of the people with social justice over particular economic interests,” he stressed, adding that the Venezuelan state bases the fight against this sanitary crisis on this principle, thus guaranteeing jobs via presidential decree.

The virtual meeting was attended by ministers and labor leaders of the NAM member countries to reflect on the events of previous days and the implementation of the ILO Centennial Declaration on the Future of Work in the context of the pandemic.