During the coronavirus crisis, the standoff between the United States and the President of Venezuela ramped up.
The Coronavirus crisis did not extinguish the conflict between the United States and Venezuela. Quite the contrary. US Attorney General William Barr on Thursday accused President Nicolas Maduro of forming a plan to flood the United States with cocaine in cooperation with dissident members of the Colombian Farc guerrillas, including Jose Sandrich and Ivan Marquez, who is currently on Venezuelan territory.
Part of the cocaine produced in Colombia leaves by Venezuela. Still, the imports of cocaine in the United States pass mainly through the Pacific and move directly from Colombia, Washington’s ally in the region.
Nicolas Maduro
The head of Nicolas Maduro is nevertheless priced from now on, for 15 million dollars, as well as those of his Minister of Defense and that of the President of the Supreme Court. Other senior Venezuelan dignitaries are under threat from bounty hunters, this time for $10 million: Cliver Alcala, a former general, who is a dissident of Chavismo and lives in Colombia. Diosdado Cabello, President of the National Constituent Assembly. Hugo Carvajal, another alleged dissident of Chavismo, in residence in Spain.
Attempted Attacks
Also Read: Julian Assange Faces British Justice
Far from these difficulties, the Covid-19 epidemic continues its path in Venezuela. President Nicolas Maduro decreed quarantine across the country on March 16. He had suspended all flights from Europe on March 12 and declared a health emergency by placing the army at the center of the device.
On March 22, he took economic measures, including the ban on layoffs until December 31, the suspension of rents, water, and electricity bills for six months, the payment of wages to SMEs for six months.
Barrio Adentro Mission
An Internet platform, called Patria, was used to allow all Venezuelans to carry out a self-diagnosis. According to the Minister of Communication, Jorge Rodriguez, “11.6 million of our fellow citizens responded to this survey. 18,365 people had worrying symptoms. They were all visited house by house by the barrio Adentro mission. And 134 had to be tested.” The 134 were put on chloroquine and the 15 people closest to them. Venezuela would have enough stocks of medicines to treat everyone, according to Jorge Rodriguez.
Chinese technicians
This Patria platform has been used for several years to exercise tight social control of the population. Set up by Chinese technicians, it is essential to receive help from state food aid in the form of ” clap” boxes intended to alleviate food shortages.
A Miracle Tea
Some 350 Bolivarian National Guard trucks disinfect the neighborhoods where cases have appeared by spraying chlorinated water into the air. A strategy used against dengue. “They pretend that there was no epidemic before Covid-19 and that the health system was functioning normally. However, there are epidemics of measles, dengue fever, and malaria, explains Paula Vasquez, an anthropologist at the CNRS. The health system is so degraded that the government does not manage to fight against these epidemics, whose means of fight are known and effective.
Dr. Jaime Lorenzo
How to believe that they will be able to face the Covid-19? “According to Dr. Jaime Lorenzo, of the Doctors for Venezuela organization, this plan comes up against the reality of the current situation in hospitals. Of the 16 Caracas establishments, six do not have access to water. Nine do not have chlorine, 13 do not have soap.
Faced with these shortages
Faced with these shortages, Nicolas Maduro announced on Twitter that a ” prominent Venezuelan scientist, “Sirio Quintero, had the recipe for fighting the virus: a ” natural antibiotic ” herbal tea made from lemongrass, ginger, elderberry, and black pepper. He drinks a cup every two hours. But US censorship has removed his post. A conspiracy of significant international capital.