{"id":78793,"date":"2019-02-15T20:25:28","date_gmt":"2019-02-16T01:25:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/update-venezuelan-police-raid-leading-hiv-org-and-confiscate-life-saving-meds\/"},"modified":"2019-02-15T20:25:28","modified_gmt":"2019-02-16T01:25:28","slug":"update-venezuelan-police-raid-leading-hiv-org-and-confiscate-life-saving-meds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/update-venezuelan-police-raid-leading-hiv-org-and-confiscate-life-saving-meds\/","title":{"rendered":"UPDATE: Venezuelan Police Raid Leading HIV Org and Confiscate Life Saving Meds"},"content":{"rendered":"

UPDATE: Venezuelan Police Raid Leading HIV Org and Confiscate Life Saving Meds<\/b><\/p>\n

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Government police have stormed the offices of Foundation Mavid, an HIV service organization in Venezuela, and confiscated donated HIV treatment, infant formula for HIV positive babies,\u00a0 and other essential medicines destined for people living with HIV, a source we\u2019re keeping confidential for their safety,\u00a0 told Towleroad<\/em>.<\/p>\n

They have also detained three staff including the human rights activist Jhonatan Mendoza. No charges have yet been made.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe are scared for the safety of our staff in our offices and call<\/a> upon the global community to help us \u2013 not just us, but the people of Venezuela living with HIV,\u201d Alberto Nieves, Executive Director of Acci\u00f3n Ciudadana Contra el SIDA (ACCSI). <\/p>\n

Mavid\u2019s president, Eduardo Franco (also the secretary for the network of people living with HIV in Venezuela) and Alberto Nieves have publicly denounced the stock outs of HIV treatments in the country and the barriers erected by the Maduro regime to distribute what little treatment exists in Venezuela.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need the UN, NGOs around the world and all people living with and affected by HIV wherever you live<\/a> to publicly condemn the human rights violations in Venezuela and stand with us in solidarity with the thousands of people living with HIV that continue to wait for their treatments and advocate for their right to live<\/a>,\u201d said Mary Ann Torres, executive Director at ICASO<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe stand in in solidarity with the thousands of
\npeople living with HIV that continue to wait for their treatments and advocate
\nfor their right to live<\/a>\u201d expressed Carlos Garc\u00eda de Le\u00f3n, member of ICASO and
\nGay Latino.<\/p>\n

Lack of meds have been a problem since at least last August when NBC News reported <\/a>that the country was on the brink of a catastrophe: \u201cSince 2015, there have been sporadic shortages of these vital medicines all over Venezuela. But deliveries that were slow to arrive two years ago have now ground to a halt. Public hospitals have given up testing for HIV, and condom supplies have run out. Venezuela\u2019s health system appears to be on the brink of collapse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the past week in Carabobo there\u2019s no medicines arriving at all. If you have cancer or are recovering from an operation or have an infection you can\u2019t get any antibiotics. There\u2019s empty shelves in every clinic and pharmacy,\u201d Eduardo Franco, who serves as a spokesperson for the HIV\/AIDS foundation MAVID in Carabobo, explained.<\/p>\n

Ironically Venezuela\u2019s government funded HIV care was once among the best in the world.<\/p>\n

Photos Credit: @ONUSIDA Venezuela <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The post UPDATE: Venezuelan Police Raid Leading HIV Org and Confiscate Life Saving Meds<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad Gay News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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UPDATE: Venezuelan Police Raid Leading HIV Org and Confiscate Life Saving Meds<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n