It’s one thing after another, as a Venezuelan friend told me a few days ago. The latest bad news in Venezuela is tuberculosis, as we see in this report:
Tuberculosis, a disease that until recently seemed to be under control in Venezuela, is making an aggressive comeback, overwhelming a broken health care system ill equipped for its return, doctors and infectious disease specialists say.The illness – like malaria, diphtheria and measles – has surged in Venezuela during a profound economic crisis that has battered almost every aspect of life and driven an exodus of Venezuelans, including many experienced doctors.Though normally associated with the very poor, tuberculosis has begun to stalk a broader population of Venezuelans, including the middle class.Declining nutrition from food shortages and rising stress throughout the country may be weakening immune systems, doctors say, leaving people more susceptible to illness.
Shocking, is all I can say. Where are Sean Penn and the Hollywood lefties who embraced Hugo Chávez?
Beyond that, there are a couple of serious issues to consider:
1. People escaping Venezuela on a daily basis. They cross into Colombia. What happens when these people have contact with others?
2. There are many Venezuelans who have come to the U.S. recently. They often go back and forth, as any traveler flying through Miami can tell you.
How much longer can this madness go on? I don’t know, and most Venezuelans are down to just saying “Dios mío” – my God!
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