Venezuela and South Africa to Cooperate Against COVID-19

Venezuela’s Health Minister Carlos Alvarado held on May 25 a videoconference meeting with his South African counterpart Zweli Mkhize as part of cooperative move by both nations to face the COVID-19 pandemic.

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 "We told our South African colleagues about the difficulties we are having with the mishandling of the pandemic in Brazil, Colombia and other South American countries, which is becoming a big problem and challenge for us,” Alvarado stated.

The South African delegation included Deputy Minister Joe Phaahla, the Director of the Office, Sibu Ngubane, and the South African Ambassador to Venezuela, Joseph Knosi. The Venezuelan representatives were the Director of Bilateral Relations of the Office of Integration and International Affairs, Ysmar Carrillo, and the Director-General of the Africa Bureau of the Ministry of People's Power for Foreign Affairs, Laura Cordonez. 

"We agree to raise our voices together for free and universal access to vaccines and medicines, as well as to condemn the United States government's blockade of the government and people of Venezuela,” Alvarado affirmed. 

 
According to the Venezuelan health authority, the meeting corresponded to the Bolivarian nation’s President Nicolas Maduro’s willingness to cooperate with other nations, as a way to cope with the pandemic.
 
Alvarado and Mkhize shared COVID clinical protocols, pandemic management experiences and scientific knowledge to cope with the health crisis. "Among our suggestions was to put aside political differences to address this issue," Alvarado expressed. 

The Venezuelan Health Minister qualified the meeting as productive and expressed both governments’ priority is people’s health. Both ministers dialogued about common health strategies as community virus inquiry and assistance. 
 
Thus far, Venezuela registered 1,177 positive cases, 10 deaths, and 302 recoveries from the virus.