In quarantine they treat us like criminals

The quarantine decreed by the national government to curb the spread of Coronavirus in Bolivia, and implemented by the Police and the Armed Forces, has on more than one occasion served as an excuse or argument to violate the rights of citizens, since excessive force is used to persecute and intimidate those who dare to go out into the streets in search of sustenance for themselves and their families.

A woman who works in small-scale commerce in markets in Santa Cruz de la Sierra tells us that her economic situation does not allow her to afford to stay at home as imposed by the transitional national government, since she is in charge of and cares for her four grandchildren (still young) and they depend on the income she generates to be able to subsist day by day.

“We are here escaping, this way, that way, worse than the thieves, and we don’t know where we are going to feed our children,” is part of the story of this mother and grandmother, who has no other weapon or tool than her hands to go out to work every day, defying her health, but above all her luck, so as not to be caught by the police and taken to police cells, with a fine included.

“I know it’s important to comply with this quarantine, but it should have been done a long time ago, before this problem happened in Bolivia, but the authorities haven’t been able to organize themselves (…) right now I’m raising four grandchildren, I’m both dad and mom to them, I have to buy milk and diapers for my grandchildren and I don’t have anyone to give me a penny,” he exclaimed, while trying to sell his products.

He also stated that they should be wary of the municipal police, who arrive at the markets and directly confiscate their merchandise or products without giving any explanation, and when they want to recover what was confiscated, the fine is too high and impossible to pay.

In addition to these concerns, he also denounced that public health centers do not want to treat people with any illness, and the staff argue that the patient must present a truly serious health condition to be treated, and they send them home.

“The other day I took my grandson to the La Colorada health center and they told me they wouldn’t treat him and I had to take my grandson home (…) We don’t have money to take him to a private medical center, we want to be treated in public health centers, we don’t want to be turned away just for being poor,” she complained.

Quarantine cannot be used as an argument to violate citizens' rights. The police and military on the streets have the constitutional mission to protect the population, and especially during this pandemic, to guide them, but not to harass, intimidate, or frighten them.

Local, regional, and national authorities must provide effective responses to the needs of the population, especially regarding health and food. It is clear that fines and imprisonment are not the right way to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus.

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