Union of Health workers denounce abuses from the Venezuelan team advising Nayib Bukele

The Constitutional Chamber of El Salvador ruled that president Bukele’s latest decree was unconstitutional and that he needed to negotiate with the Legislative Assembly to extend the lockdown that started on March 21st,

Yesterday (June 10th), the president went on a Twitter rant against this decision and even against the organizations asking the District Attorney’s office to enforce such ruling.

The tweet above states:

It is not the lawyers, nor the magistrates, nor the congresspeople who must decide what to do in a pandemic.
As throughout the world, it’s up to doctors, nurses, health workers, epidemiologists, and specialists, led by the Ministry of Health. or not?

 

 

Nevertheless, as we have mentioned before the Medical Association (Colegio Médico) has stated they have not been heard during this pandemic. Now the Union of Health workers release the following statement:

 

San Salvador, June 11, 2020

The health workers affiliated in the different organizations that make up the Unit of unions and public health associations of El Salvador before the President of the Republic Nayib Bukele denounce:

1. That despite the authorization of the Minister of Health, dr. Francisco Alabí, to take COVID tests on health workers with symptoms and in quarantine, Mr. Miguel Arvelo, a Venezuelan national, whose functions within the Ministry of Health we don’t know, opposes to this important measure for workers.

2. We see with concern that Mr. Miguel Arvelo, a veterinarian by profession, is accompanied by a man named Miguel Sabal, who constantly appears at the facilities of the specialized laboratories Max Bloch, and laboratories of San Miguel, calling themselves advisers to the president, to harass and mistreat the laboratory workers who are at the forefront of this battle, and it is not possible for these types of people to abuse their power, mistreating even with vulgar words our colleagues who deserve respect.

 

 

3. We ask the Ministry of Health, Francisco Alabí, to create a roundtable where we can jointly seek solutions to the different problems affecting health workers.

4. We call on President Nayib Bukele not to be fooled by these characters who are part of a Venezuelan team with a dark record like that of Mr. Miguel Sabal, who is singled out in several countries for taking advantage of national emergencies and steal relief aid and funds.

5. We denounce that this group of people is larger and is led by a dentist named Sara Hanna Georges, who is misleading the president. The decisions of Dr. Hanna and veterinarian Miguel Arvelo have been affecting the population and health workers.

6. President of the republic and Minister of health, on behalf of the health working class, we ask you to urgently meet with us and, at the same time, that these aforementioned people are removed from the health branch, since they are affecting workers and affecting their work.

 

In the absence of an answer as soon as possible, we hold you responsible for the closure of the laboratories where the COVID19 tests are being carried out because we will not tolerate the disrespect of labor rights, integrity and psychological damage inflicted to our colleagues .