London 11.02.05 | A reader kindly sent a report (as of September 15 2004), commissioned by the Chavez administration, which lays out the nationwide status of the health programme known as «Barrio Adentro». Shockingly in page 19 one can read the following paragraph:
2.- Para ampliar la capacidad de almacenamiento de equipos para los Consultorios Populares, se recuperaron 2.400 mts2 de infraestructura en el depósito de Las Adjuntas del MSDS; en estos espacios evidenciamos la existencia de 55.000 Kgs. de medicamentos, materiales médico-quirúrgicos y alimentos envasados vencidos, provenientes de donaciones durante la tragedia del Estado Vargas.
Translation:
In order to augment the storage capacity for equipment destined to the popular clinics, 2.400m² were cleared from the warehouse of the Ministry of Health and Social Development located in Las Adjuntas; in said location we have found 55.000 Kilograms of expired medicines, medical / surgery supplies and canned foods that were donated during the Vargas tragedy.
The emergency supplies referred to were presumably donated in late 1999 / beginning of 2000 to aid the many thousands of victims of the mudslides in Vargas.
Tomado de Venezuela’s government failed to distribute 55 tons of emergency supplies