The Venezuelan government, led by embattled President Nicolas Maduro, and the opposition led by Juan Guaidó, have signed an agreement to cooperate in the fight against Covid-19 by allowing aid into the country through the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
This is one of the few times the two sides are known to have signed an agreement.
In the same statement, the Vice President for Communication, Culture, and Tourism, Jorge Rodríguez, added that both sides need to “set politics aside and work together to fight Covid-19”
More on the agreement: The agreement was signed on Monday by the Venezuelan Minister of Health, Carlos Alvarado, the Health Adviser of the opposition-led National Assembly, Julio Castro, and the Venezuelan representative of the Pan American Health Organization, Gerardo de Cosio.
On their website, PAHO says it is the specialized international health agency for the Americas. It serves as Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization.
The Venezuelan opposition confirmed the agreement in a statement:
“The interim government and the president Juan Guaidó and the National Assembly, reaffirm its commitment to do whatever it takes to alleviate the suffering of Venezuelans,” they said.
“We took an important step, but it won’t be enough for what’s ahead,” the statement added. Guaidó is recognized as the interim leader of Venezuela by more than 50 countries, including the United States.
According to the opposition, the agreement will allow the PAHO to receive and manage the funding allocated for humanitarian aid. The funds will be used towards protection equipment, “improving diagnostic capacity” and treating confirmed cases, according to the opposition.
The PAHO confirmed to CNN in an email that “this agreement is real and that PAHO is taking action to support its implementation.”
CNN