Caracas (AFP)
Several tens of tons of aid, including respirators and 5 million masks, arrived in Caracas by plane from China on Saturday to help Venezuela in its fight against the coronavirus which has killed two people in the country so far.
China, from which the pandemic started at the end of 2019 and which sees the number of cases falling significantly on its soil, has sent specialists and equipment to several countries, including Italy, the most bereaved by the pandemic with more 10,000 deaths.
Among the 55 tonnes of equipment and drugs arriving at Maiquetia airport, near Caracas, are notably 500,000 "rapid diagnostic tests", the first to arrive in Venezuela, according to vice-president Delcy Rodriguez, who went to the airport to receive the equipment with Chinese Ambassador Li Baorong.
The shipment also includes artificial respirators, five million masks, 70,000 infrared thermometers and chloroquine. This antimalarial is at the heart of a lively debate of experts between those who recommend it and those who warn against its use against the coronavirus.
Ambassador Li Baorong said China is "ready" to send specialists to Venezuela to share the country "with their experience".
Along with Russia, Iran and Cuba, China is one of Nicolas Maduro's most fervent supporters. Since the start of the pandemic, the Socialist President has repeatedly said that he was inspired by the People's Republic to fight the disease, which has so far killed two people in Venezuela, official sources said.
Maduro ordered a halt to all flights to and from Venezuela two weeks ago and the country, which has a population of 30 million, has been in near-total containment since March 17. Only trips to buy food and go to the doctor are authorized.
The government says 113 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed so far, but opposition leader Juan Guaido accuses him of "brazenly lying" by putting a figure far below the reality.
In addition, the Venezuelan medical community warns of a health disaster if hospitals, under-equipped and sometimes unsanitary, have to cope with an influx of patients.
The country with the largest oil reserves in the world is going through the worst crisis in its recent history which is accompanied by rampant inflation and shortages of drugs and gasoline.
© 2020 AFP