Those of us who subscribe to this communiqué express our concern about the absence of a policy of assistance and protection for the elderly in Venezuela. This situation in the current conjuncture of the COVID-19 jeopardises the lives of nearly 3.5 million people aged 60 and over, which according to medical evidence in the world are the population with higher risks of lethality against the virus, reaching a mortality rate close to 15% and which may be even higher for people over 80 years of age with previous chronic health conditions.
Considering:
• That the protection of the rights of older adults is a mandate enshrined in article 80 of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Considering:
• That older adults are the population group that faces greater risks compared to COVID-19.
Considering:
• That according to a recent study of rapid detection of humanitarian needs carried out by Convite in alliance with HelpaAge in the states of Miranda, Lara and Bolívar, it was detected that 23% of the older adults lives in solitude.
Considering:
• That, according to the aforementioned study, three out of five older adults go to bed regularly without eating and one in ten goes to bed every night without eating, and 77% of older adults do not have sufficient access to food.
Considering:
• That many older adults do not have the economic power to make purchases to fulfill a social quarantine that could be prolonged, adding to this situation that many older adults live alone and therefore depend on themselves to make their purchases.
Considering:
• That a percentage close to 70% of the total of older adults in Venezuela are diabetic and hypertensive, which is why they require regular and lifelong medication. These two morbidities are highly potentiators of the fatality of COVID-19.
Considering:
• That organized groups of pensioners, retirees and survivors nationwide express that around 700 thousand pensioners do not have debit cards, since banks have long stopped supplying cards and even bankbooks.
Considering:
• That Venezuela does not have any national aging plan that deepens the norms and policies directed at this age group, especially in a setting where the country is experiencing a deep economic crisis, which branches out in the affectation of numerous human rights, being the older adult population is one of the most suffering.
Considering:
• That studies by Convite reveal that between 400 and 500 thousand people of pensionable age are outside the pension system.
Considering:
• That there are around 12,000 Venezuelan pensioners in Spain, Italy, Portugal, Chile, Ecuador and Uruguay who for more than 40 months have stopped receiving their pensions.
In the face of this we propose:
FIRST:
That older adults be recognized as fully-fledged subjects of law, guaranteeing that age does not become a factor of discrimination in the provision of assistance. Older people must be included in a differentiated way within any humanitarian response program and have the right to be consulted. Likewise, mechanisms must be implemented to guarantee the protection of the elderly in situations of violence, even intra-family.
SECOND:
That the different levels of government, national, regional and local, declare older people as the target population of their COVID-19 prevention policy, valuing in each geographical entity the presence of people aged 60 and over, sectorizing their places of greatest concentration and establishing a mapping of cases that require special support.
THIRD:
That the national executive design a home support program for the elderly. This program must contain the following components: provision of food, provision of medicines, domiciliary medical and psychological care for cases that require it, transfer to dialysis units or other medical protocols. This program must be active for as long as the social quarantine measure remains in effect.
FOURTH:
That the provision of supplies, medicines and food to the elderly care entities be privileged, regardless of their private or public condition (nursing homes, nursing homes, nursing homes, mental sanatoriums), taking into account that dependent elderly people are more exposed to deprivation of social and economic rights.
FIFTH:
That it is urgently necessary to look for alternatives so that the 700 thousand pensioners who do not have debit cards available be able to make their payments and who, motivated by the suspension of banking activity, will not be able to withdraw their diminished income. Likewise, it is necessary to guarantee that the allocation of any financial aid be universal, and to only require an identity card to grant it.
SIXTH:
That it is imperative to privilege the provision of pharmacological protocols for older people with chronic conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV, mental illnesses and others that in themselves pose fatal risks. As well as for diabetes, hypertension, acute respiratory infections, depression and seizure, whose scarcity rates in eleven cities in Venezuela exceed 60%
SEVENTH:
That the national executive URGENTLY study the way to compensate any elderly person whose only source of income is the lease of a property or room. The recently taken measure to exempt rental payments for real estate or commercial premises is regressive, since it only benefits the tenant and leaves the landlord unprotected. There are a significant number of older people who are landlords, even in popular areas.
EIGHTH:
That the national executive and the Venezuelan diplomatic representations accredited in the countries where the Social Security Agreement governs (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Chile, Ecuador and Uruguay) establish a special plan of assistance to the more than 12,000 pensioners who have been in the country for 40 months They have had their pension payments suspended.
NINETH:
That the National Assembly issue a legislative decree in which the elderly population of all Venezuela is declared a priority in the allocation of resources to attend the emergency.
TENTH:
That logistical facilities and protection guarantees be provided to all Venezuelan civil society organizations, including international organizations that are currently deploying humanitarian aid programs, aimed at older people in any part of the country.
Promoted and subscribed by CONVITE Civil society organization.
Civil society organizations that subscribe:
1. A.C. Centro de Animación Juvenil
2. A.C. MÉDICOS UNIDOS DE VENEZUELA
3. AC Amigos Trasplantados Francisco Valencia
4. Acceso a la Justicia
5. Acción Solidaria
6. ACCSI
7. ACIVA
8. ACOANA
9. Aconvida
10. AJUP CHACAO
11. Ajupeven
12. Alfa Ciudadana
13. Alianza Ciudadana
14. Aprende más Centro de Formación y Atención Integral
15. APUFAT-UCV Sindicato Nacional de Profesionales Universitarios en Funciones Administrativas y Técnicas de la UCV Argelia O Castillo Secretaria General
16. Asamblea de Ciudadanos de Carabobo
17. Asociación Civil Vida y Luz (Asoviluz)
18. Asociación Civil Centro de Educación Integral Gurrufio
19. Asociación civil Cuadra Segura Guacara Guigue
20. Asociación Civil Mujeres en Línea
21. Asociación de jubilados y Pensionados de Venezuela en Andalucía
22. Asociación de Jubilados y Pensionados de Venezuela en Andalucía España (AJUPEVEN)
23. Asociación de Pensionados Venezolanos en Canarias ASOPEVEC
24. Asociación de Pensionados y Jubilados de Venezuela en Uruguay APEJUVENUR
25. Asociación de Profesionales Universitarios APUFAT UCV
26. Asociación de Trabajadores Autónomos, Emprendedores y Microempresarios Atraem
27. Asociación de Trasplantes de Venezuela
28. Asociación Nacional de jubilados (AS) y pensionados (AS) del Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Salud y entes adscritos Anjupminsa
29. Asociación por la Vida (Asovida) Merida
30. Asociación Venezolana de Mujeres Josefa Márquez de Cordero
31. Asopenjubilbao
32. ASOPEVEC
33. AsoSaber
34. AVESA
35. AVH
36. B.I.O.
37. Banco del Libro
38. CADEF
39. Caleidoscopio Humano
40. Caracas Sostenible
41. Catedra de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad Centro occidental
42. Catedra de la Paz Universidad de los Andes
43. Catia Posible
44. Cecodap
45. Cendif-Unimet
46. Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad Metropolitana
47. Centro de Formación Para La Democracia
48. Centro de Formación para la Democracia CFD Nicolasa Caraballo
49. Centro de Investigaciones Económicas y Sociales (CIES)
50. Centro de las mujeres
51. Centro Monseñor Arias Blanco
52. Civilis AC
53. Clima21 – Ambiente y Derechos Humanos
54. CODEHCIU
55. CODEVIDA
56. Codhez
57. Colegio de Odontólogos del Táchira
58. Comisión Nacional de DDHH de la Federación de Colegios de Abogados de Venezuela, del estado Apure
59. Comisión Nacional de DDHH de la Federación de Colegios de Abogados de Venezuela Mérida
60. Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos de la Federación de Colegios de Abogados de Venezuela del Estado Lara
61. Comité de DDHH de la Carucieña Barquisimeto
62. Comunidad del barrio las flores
63. Confederación de Trabajadores de Venezuela en el Estado Guárico
64. Consejo comunal Prebo
65. Consejo Comunal Trigal Centro Sector 1
66. Consorven
67. Control Ciudadano para la Seguridad, la Defensa y la Fuerza Armada Nacional
68. Convite Asociación Civil
69. Coordinación de los DDHH de los Colegios de Abogados estado Guárico
70. Crea País
71. Creemos Alianza Ciudadana
72. Defensa en Acción
73. Defiende Venezuela
74. Democracia Emprendedora
75. Dirección General de Extensión Social Universitaria UCAB
76. EDEPA A.C.
77. Epikeia Observatorio Universitario de Derechos Humanos
78. Equipo Voluntario de Ayuda Humanitaria EVAH
79. Estado Táchira
80. Exalumnos Salesianos
81. EXCUBITUS
82. FETRASALUD
83. Frente Nacional de Mujeres
84. FUNCAMAMA
85. Fundación Aguaclara
86. Fundación CELTA
87. Fundación Ecocivico
88. Fundación Emprendedores Solidarios
89. Fundación Jóvenes por los Derechos humanos Venezuela
90. Fundación Lucelia
91. Fundación para el Desarrollo Integral FUNDESI
92. Fundación Pro Bono Venezuela, ProVene
93. Fundación Prodefensa del Derecho a la Educación y la Niñez
94. Fundación Váyalo
95. FundaRedes
96. HelpAge
97. Hombres por la Equidad e Igualdad
98. INVESP
99. IVSS Y UNIVIDAD CENTRAL DE VENEZUELA
100. Jubilados y Pensionados de Venezuela
101. Justicia y Paz OP Venezuela
102. Labo Ciudadano
103. Laboratorio de Paz
104. Liga merideña contra el sida
105. MAPANI VENEZUELA
106. Mavid Carabobo
107. Mérida cátedra de la paz
108. Metro de Caracas
109. MID movimiento independiente democrático del Táchira
110. Monitor Social AC
111. Montalbán en Movimiento
112. Movimiento Ciudadano Dale Letra
113. Movivargas
114. Mujer y Ciudadana a.c.
115. Mulier
116. MUV Táchira
117. No Permitas Malos Tratos
118. Observatorio de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad de Los Andes
119. Observatorio Venezolano de la Salud
120. Observatorio Venezolano de Prisiones
121. Observatorio Venezolano de Violencia
122. OPEM República Dominicana
123. Oportunidad AC
124. Padres Organizados de Venezuela
125. Parroquia San Alberto Hurtado
126. Pensionados en el exterior
127. Plataforma Agroalimentaria Nacional Luis Hidalgo
128. PROENA
129. Programa de atención al adulto mayor
130. Proiuris
131. PROMEDEHUM
132. Provea
133. Psicodehu
134. Red por los Derechos Humanos de Niños Niñas y Adolescentes, REDHNNA.
135. Red Venezolana de Gente Positiva
136. REDAC
137. REDHANZ
138. Revista SIC del Centro Gumilla
139. Senosayuda
140. Sinergia
141. Sociedad Civil FAVL Mérida
142. StopVIH
143. Ufajup
144. Una Ventana a la Libertad
145. Uniandes
146. Unión Afirmativa
147. Vecinos Organizados Sabana Larga
148. Venezuela Ciudadana
149. Vicaría de DDHH de la Arquidiócesis de Barquisimeto
150. Voto Joven
People that subscribe:
1. Adelaida Guevara Pulgar
2. Adelba Taffin
3. Adriana Carrillo
4. Adriana Pérez
5. Agustina Dominguez
6. Aixa Armas
7. Aixa Díaz
8. Alba Purroy
9. Alberto Nieves
10. Alecia Nass
11. Alejandra Bemporad
12. Alejandra Olivares Hidalgo
13. Alejandro Álvarez Iragorry
14. Alejandro López R
15. Alfonso Maldonado
16. Alfredo I. Wietstruck G.
17. Alfredo Padilla
18. Amelia Quintero
19. Amely Pajares
20. Amilton Domínguez
21. Ana Eizaguirre
22. Ana Julia Allen
23. Ana Marcelina Array
24. Ana María Burguillos
25. Ana María Di Leo F
26. Ana Pérez
27. Ana Rosa Núñez Castellano
28. Ana Segovia
29. Ana Teresa Machillanda
30. Anabella Lillo
31. Andrea Parra
32. Andrés Coba R
33. Andy Delgado Blanco
34. Ángel Cáceres
35. Ángel Zambrano
36. Antonio Malaver
37. Arquimedes Reyes
38. Beatriz Cisneros
39. Beatriz Gerbasi
40. Beatriz Vento
41. Caribay Medina
42. Carlos Aponte
43. Carlos Eugenio Núñez Castellano
44. Carlos Siboni
45. Carlos Trapani
46. Carmen Castellano
47. Carmen Delia Rodríguez
48. Carmen E. Dos Reis
49. Carmen García
50. Carmen González Coronel
51. Carmen Martínez de Grijalva
52. Carolina Arnal
53. Carolina Reyes
54. Catedra de la Paz Universidad de los Andes
55. Cesar Enrique Key Mujica
56. Charo Mendez Rivas
57. Chistian Burgazzi
58. Clara Contreras
59. Claudia Lazo
60. Consuelo Iranzo
61. Daniela José Cardozo Morales
62. Darlene Zambrano
63. David Vargas
64. Deborah Van Berkel
65. Deydy García
66. Deysi del Carmen Zurita Palacios
67. Deysi Zurita
68. Dhayana Carolina Fernández Matos
69. Diana lobo
70. Dickson Segovia
71. Dinoris Mercedes Melendez
72. Disnoyra Navas
73. Dolores Alicia Palacios
74. Dorkis Castro
75. Edicberto Gutiérrez
76. Eduardo Franco
77. Eladio Yépez Gudiño
78. Elba Parra E.
79. Elba Soto
80. Elena Hernández
81. Eleonora Angulo
82. Elizabeth Mérida
83. Elizabeth Petersen
84. Elsa Amada Key Mujica
85. Estefanía Mendoza
86. Esther Núñez
87. Feliciano Reyna
88. Félix Arellano
89. Fernando Aranguen
90. Fidel Eduardo Orozco
91. Flor de Maria López Ramírez
92. Francia Hernández
93. Francine Jacome
94. Francisco Hernández
95. Francisco Jose Gatel
96. Francisco Lugo
97. Francisco Valencia
98. Gabriel Alejandro Linares Key
99. Gabriel Aranguren
100. Gabriel David Hernández Sánchez
101. Gabriela Buada Blondell
102. Gabriele Merz
103. Gipsy Gómez
104. Gladys Mogollón
105. Gloria Lopez
106. Gloria Perdomo
107. Gloriana Faria
108. Gracia Salazar
109. Gretna El Halabi
110. Guadalupe Burelli
111. Guillermo Barrios
112. Gustavo Delgado Perdomo
113. Héctor Monsalve
114. Henry Jaspe
115. Henry Tovar
116. Iker Angola
117. Ilvia Rojas
118. Ingrid Orjuela
119. Iraní Acosta Villanueva
120. Iris Rosas
121. Ivonne Almeida Freire
122. Jacinto Jose Key Mujica
123. Jacqueline Richter
124. Jaime Lorenzo
125. Javier Manrique
126. Javier Tarazona
127. Jhessimar Brito
128. Jo DElia
129. Johan Rodríguez Perozo
130. José Amador Díaz González
131. José Andrés Escorche
132. José Colmenares Delgado
133. José Gregorio Moreno
134. José Luis Martínez
135. Josefa Triana Pérez
136. Juan Jorge Ocanto Acosta
137. Juan Moreno
138. Judith Brazon
139. Judith C. Vega Mejía
140. Judith Martinez Rodríguez
141. Julio Cesar Mancheno
142. Karla Ávila
143. Larida Bisogno Moreno
144. Larida Bisogno Moreno
145. Laura Louza
146. Leonel Amarista
147. Lesbia Sánchez
148. Lexys Rendón
149. Lilia Arvelo
150. Liliana Peña
151. Liliana Rodríguez
152. Lisbeth Cordero
153. Lope Cobeña
154. Lorena Liendo Rey
155. Luis Aijon
156. Luis Alvarado Bruzual
157. Luis Cano
158. Luis Eduardo Rodríguez Herrera
159. Luis Figueroa
160. Luis Francisco Cabeza
161. Luis Hidalgo
162. Luis Martinez R
163. Luis Ordoñez
164. Luis Ramos
165. Luis Roja
166. Luisa Amelia Irureta Núñez
167. Luisa Martínez
168. Luisa Rodríguez Tariba
169. Luz Beltrán
170. Magaly Huggins
171. Magda Boschetti
172. Magdalena Boersner
173. Mahycol linares
174. Maira Cárdenas
175. Mairis Balza
176. Marcela Bustamante
177. Marcelino Hernández De León
178. María Andreina Muñoz Tebar
179. María Angélica González Márquez
180. Marí¬a Auxiliadora Paredes García
181. María Beatriz Medina
182. Maria De Oteyza
183. María del Carmen Alvarado
184. María del Carmen Luis
185. María del Carmen Miguez
186. Maria del Rosario Bocchetti Guerra
187. María E Villegas
188. Maria Elena Flores
189. María Eugenia Gil Beroes
190. María Francisca Moreno
191. Marí¬a Gabriela Ponce
192. Maria Inés Fernández
193. María Inés Silva de Casanova
194. María López
195. María Luisa Ávila
196. Maria R. Sánchez de Delgado
197. María Teresa Pitero Suárez
198. María Transito Hernández
199. María Virginia Arráez
200. Mariangela González
201. Mariano Herrera
202. Mariapia Bevilacqua
203. Mariela Machado
204. Mariela Navarro
205. Mariela Ramírez
206. Mario D’Andrea
207. Mario Rodríguez Nelo
208. Maritza E Morles Aldana
209. Marjorie Sosa
210. Marlo Chacón
211. Mary Doris Da Silva
212. Mary Mogollón
213. Marysabel Cadenas
214. Maurelena Remiro Galindo
215. Mayela Carrillo
216. Mercedes Velandia
217. Merly Monsalve
218. Milagros Del Valle Villarroel
219. Mildred Chacón
220. Moisés Carvallo Núñez
221. Nancy josefina González Martínez
222. Nelson Freitez
223. Nicolasa Caraballo
224. Ninfa Magaly Pirela
225. Norka González
226. Norma Chávez De Escobar
227. Olga Krnjajsky
228. Omaira Griselda Quiñonez de Abreu
229. Omaira Margarita Suárez de Rodríguez
230. Oneyda Oliveros
231. Oscar Silva
232. Patrizzia Latini
233. Pedro González Caro
234. Pedro Rivas
235. Rafael Marcano Torres
236. Raúl Herrera, s.j.
237. Rayza Blassi
238. Reinhard Dufresne
239. Rigoberto Lobo
240. Rocio San Miguel
241. Rosa C. Sánchez González
242. Rosa Elena Acevedo
243. Rosanna Cariello
244. Sabas Castillo
245. Sandra al Nijjar
246. Silva Camero
247. Silvia De Oteyza
248. Sonia Angarita
249. Sybil Caballero
250. Thais Maingon
251. Tibisay Betancourt Parra
252. Vanessa Cartaya
253. Vanessa Moreno Losada
254. Verónica Colina
255. Vicenta Paredes Guerrero
256. Vilma Rigoris
257. Virginia Galera
258. Walter Trejo Urquiola
259. Wanda Cedeño
260. Wileyma Meneses
261. Wilfredo Castro
262. Wladimir Tovar
263. Xiomara Montilla
264. Yakeling Benarroche
265. Yanela Barrios
266. Yiniba ortega
267. Yonathan Pernía
268. Yoreima Miranda
269. Yumary Desiree Sayago Velandia
270. Zaida Mora
271. Zezarina Guevara
272. Zobeira Herrera
273. Zulmy García
