Amnesty International Denounces Maduro for Repressing Healthcare Workers

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Amid the growing spread of the coronavirus in Venezuela, Amnesty International (AI) issued a serious denunciation against the government of Nicolás Maduro, which it accused of “repressing and failing to protect healthcare workers” who face the Covid-19 on a daily basis. The human rights organization also warned that the Chavista authorities “are imprisoning those who denounce their appalling working conditions.”

“The Venezuelan authorities either deny the number of health workers who have died as a result of Covid-19, or they do not have precise data on the substandard conditions of hospitals and the urgent need for better protection of both staff and patients. In either case, the government is being utterly irresponsible,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Director for the Americas at Amnesty International.

“While the Nicolas Maduro government has asked people to applaud healthcare workers in recent weeks, what they truly need is not applause, but rather specific government action to secure the resources they need to work safely and allow their voices to be heard without reprisals,” she added.

Doctors United of Venezuela reported that 71 healthcare workers died between July 1st and August 16th. Of these deaths, 37 occurred in the first half of August. This update represents almost 30 percent of the total number of deaths from coronavirus in the country reported by the Maduro regime, which stands at 288 through Tuesday, August 18th, the day the Amnesty International statement was issued.

However, the authorities are failing to break down deaths by sector, so no one knows in detail the number of healthcare workers who have died of coronavirus.

Amnesty International also echoed suspicions about the figures shared by the Maduro regime to date. The NGO said that on August 16th there were 691 patients hospitalized with Covid-19 symptoms “in the main hospitals of the city of Caracas alone”. This is double the figure for the preceding week. “This raises doubts about the reliability of official daily case figures throughout the country, since the government reported only 1,148 new cases of Covid-19 throughout the country on that same August 16th,” said AI.

Amnesty International’s harsh report said that Venezuela is a clear example of state reprisals against healthcare workers. “Since Amnesty International began monitoring the condition of healthcare workers across the Americas in early April, Venezuela is the only country that has gone so far as to imprison those who have publicly voiced concerns about risks to their safety and that of patients,” it added.

“Although there have been reprisals against healthcare workers acting as complainants in many countries in the region, according to information available to Amnesty International, Venezuela is the only country in the region that has arrested healthcare workers and brought them before military and civilian courts,” the organization added.

Amnesty International reported that to date it has received reports “of at least 12 healthcare workers who have been arrested during the pandemic”. “Amnesty International has reported for years on the repressive policy implemented by the Maduro government to silence and control the population, including arbitrary arrests and torture targeting a wide range of people who have raised their voices.”

The Venezuelan Medical Federation (FMV) said that in recent years some 50 percent of the country’s doctors have fled the country, thus hindering the fight against the coronavirus. “Healthcare workers who stayed in Venezuela earn between US$4 and US$18 per month, and many have had to walk to work, sometimes more than 10 km, as they are unable to afford transportation. According to the civil society group Monitor Salud, 68 percent of 296 healthcare workers in the city of Caracas surveyed from March to June went to work with no food in their stomachs to start their demanding shift. The average monthly living expenses for food and basic services for each Venezuelan is estimated at US$513, according to the CENDAS national survey organization.

Amnesty International recalled that Venezuelan law “establishes that workers must be protected from risks in the workplace.” However, the NGO Provea has warned that “workers are being left completely exposed without personal protective equipment (PPE).” “In cases where PPE is provided to workers, they are being forced to reuse their masks for long periods of time, which renders them ineffective.”

On Tuesday, Venezuela recorded 1,047 new cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours, making it the seventh consecutive day with over 1,000 daily infections.

Source: infobae