Within the framework of Mercosur, Venezuela is looking to strengthen public policies on healthcare to guarantee access to medicine for the entire population. This was announced by Esperanza Briceño, president of the Rafael Rangel National Institute of Hygiene (INHRR).

Briceño stated she would work in conjunction with the member countries of Mercosur in the field of medicine to establish goals and objectives for the continued improvement of the ability to obtain quality goods and services, thus guaranteeing the processes of structural and technological modernisation in the organisation, as well as fulfiling current national and international norms.

Additionally, the INHRR is looking to broaden strategic alliances with research, production, education, applied investigation and extension centres at national and international levels.

“[Venezuela's] pro tempore presidency [of Mercosur] signifies a six-month period of political and operational coordination in all activates within the context of Mercosur. In this pro tempore presidency, we will do everything possible so that Venezuelans know what Mercosur is beyond its name and what will be done for the population, specifically within the framework of Mercosur health,” stated Briceño.

The new role of our country has generated countless expectations, not only among the member states but also for the rest of the international community. When Venezuela formalised joining the group on 31 July 2013, the[ ...] leader of the Bolivarian Revolution, Hugo Chávez classified it as a “geopolitical project for the benefits of the Latin American people”, with which they will be able to overcome hunger, misery, poverty, and the region can become “a great zone of peace”.

With this legacy as an inspiration, our country has a great challenge before it. “Venezuela now assumes (the presidency) in order to offer a different focus, without undermining the current work methodology, existing mechanisms and levels of decision-making. We are going to grant –because our President Nicolás Maduro, Foreign Minister Elías Jaua and the senior authorities have demanded it – central importance of the human being when making decisions, in the social arena, in the case of health. Humans can have a relevant participation in these things so that the issues decided there result in benefits for the people,” Briceño stated.

Translated by Rohan Chatterjee for Venezuelanalysis.