Venezuelans have experienced a progressive deterioration in their living conditions as a result of misguided political decisions, the erosion of the rule of law, the dismantling of institutions and widespread corruption over a number of years. In 2016, this resulted in a complex humanitarian emergency with very serious consequences: widespread hunger, reduced access to health and education, and the forced migration of almost 5 million people. A deterioration in essential services such as water, electricity and public transport contributed to deepening the damage.
This gradual deterioration has made it possible for people to develop survival strategies and many individuals, families and communities have used their skills and creativity to continue to provide themselves with an income and social support; others protected themselves by means of state subsidies, in money and in kind, although, the amount, quality and scope of the state subsidies were insufficient, and their implementation was based on politicized and discriminatory criteria.
However, the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic is immediate, in terms of suffering and loss of life, and it could be devastating for Venezuela. Even in countries where the public and private health systems have the capacity to respond to the crisis, such as Italy and Spain, the spread of COVID-19 has infected thousands of people in a very short time period and seriously compromised their health care capacities. The pandemic also requires an enormous effort on the part of health services, law enforcement, city sanitation, food distribution, transportation and, in general, from the entire population, since people are being told to remain in quarantine or, in the case of infected people, in isolation.
