Venezuela: HIV-positive people in the LGBTI community have never feared as much for their lives as now

In Venezuela, people in the LGBTI community living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are in imminent danger in the absence of essential antiretrovirals to treat the disease, since The humanitarian emergency that exists in this country continues to grow, leaving at its chance the lives of at least 77,000 people living with HIV.

Chrismar Landáez is one of the thousands of victims of this tragedy that has been more than announced. Beyond being a trans woman who struggles to be recognized and respected in a country where the rights of LGBTI people are not guaranteed, she has never been as scared of her life as now as she is. she can not find the drugs she needs to control

23 years ago, she was diagnosed with HIV and for most of that time she lived with normalcy because her treatment antiretroviral was guaranteed. However, for more than six months, this has changed and he is now facing high levels of stress and despair because he knows that he may die of AIDS or any other opportunistic disease that develops because of the lack of fast and constant treatment of the virus. . She repeats again and again that people living with HIV in the LGBTI community in Venezuela feel that the government is playing Russian roulette with their lives.

Efavirenz disappeared, also the Viraday. The first antiretroviral drug was taken for 16 consecutive years and then it was prescribed for the second when these types of treatments began to be missed intermittently in Venezuelan Social Security pharmacies.

In the South American country there is a shortage of 90% or 100% of antiretroviral drugs; half of the hospitals are not functioning and the medical staff of the public centers, which provide 90% of the health services, has been reduced by 50%. However, the government denies the existence of a crisis in the health sector and rejects the offers of help and cooperation from the international community.

Chrismar, like so many other people in his condition, faces a desperate search of health centers that ends with the lapidary "there is no" medical staff attending. Negative constants and not knowing what to do to maintain one's health in good health cause an accumulation of feelings that stun and reduce it, an extremely dangerous situation for people living with HIV.

Ten years ago, he was working in a hospital where they treated HIV-positive patients and, with regret, remembers that few people have died before today. His friends died due to lack of medication and this situation killed him, he fears that his turn will come in his turn.

The Venezuelan government has not signed the purchase orders for these drugs since April 2017. From the moment the application is made, the delivery of antiretroviral drugs may take up to six months, this which means that these people will not receive continuous treatment for at least a year.

Deaths do not stop and complaints from those who defend the right to health, people with chronic diseases and their loved ones become more and more constant. Today, these voices are still shouting the same thing, but the absence of government responses and effective measures condemns them to death.

Chrismar and much of the most vulnerable Venezuelan population do not have access to treatment, a balanced diet, nor timely medical attention. The rights to life, health and non-discrimination are not guaranteed. There is an urgent need for the authorities to accept international cooperation and immediately activate a common and coordinated mechanism to deal with the humanitarian emergency and to provide medicines, supplies, and the treatment and diagnosis of HIV / AIDS to those in need. need in the country. 19659011] Article prepared in collaboration with:

NGO Acceptess-T; LGBT Center of Touraine; CFDT; Deputy Mayor of Paris in charge of issues related to gender equality, the fight against discrimination and human rights, Hélène Bidart; HES, LGBT socialists; Inter-LGBT; The Franks-boys; LGBT international solidarity; UNAS and Venezuela need you.

A version of this article was published in French by: Libération