With these „German Air Force Plane Hospitals“, Italian seriously ill corona infected people are flown to Germany. So positive such mutual help in hardest times.

Friday, 13th of March 2020. The date will be marked in the memory of all Uruguayans as the first day of the corona-virus pandemic in the country. The first four infected were confirmed 72 days after China reported 27 cases to the World Health Organization in Hubei province. Up to that point, Uruguayans were mere spectators of the scenes of economic and health chaos left behind by the virus as it advanced from Asia to Europe. The reality in Italy and Spain, with thousands of infections and deaths that caused health systems to collapse, seemed far away for Uruguayans who followed the news through the media and social networks. Today, as I post this article we have in Uruguay 350 infected persons, 4 dead and 62 recovered. But no panic, no looting, no „hamster“ buying, all and most stay calm and quiet.

Typical Uruguayan Farmacia, well stocked, helpful, friendly and calm organized.

During the Corona Virus Crisis people read about it every day and seek for as much information as possible. So do I ! And I found many positive news worth talking about.

But some press articles read so bad that one is inclined to explode. By example the „Moron Trump“ who has nothing better to do as to stir up the world even more then the virus. Here two examples from the international press, just this week – NO FAKE NEWS :

Trump suggests US should treat Germany as an enemy because of World War II !

and

USA buy up (steal) protective masks in China. French politician raises serious accusations against the USA !

Good is, that Trump is meeting Corona – he might make a deal ! What a CLOWN !!!  Click on pics to size up.

But this article is not antipersonnel Trump. It is worthless to comment about him as it was worthless in the 1930’s to be against Hitler! To many followers worship mindless dictators! But future will punish and time will penalize – as always in history – poor Americans !!

During the last weeks more and more people reflect on human relations with each other ! Human togetherness is booming again   ….may be only until after the pandemic. But it is worth to notice these „delicate flaws“.

People help each other – shopping service and food delivery for the elder’s – THANKS TO ALL !

Looting occurred in most countries in South America during the first week of quarantine. One exception is Uruguay, where unions, grassroots committees, football clubs and neighborhood groups are organizing folk kitchens across the country. Uruguay is different!

In several countries, there has been looting since quarantine was imposed, as here in Colombia. pic:Saltaren.

In Colombia’s La Guajira province several supermarkets have been looted in recent days. The police and the Esmad counter-insurgency unit defended the shops, but caused panic among shoppers. Elsewhere, groups of people stopped lorries with food to empty them afterwards.

Colombian motorbike taxi. Flickr.

Many motorbike taxis, the most common means of transport in Colombia, helped with the actions. They are part of the informal sector that lives from hand to mouth throughout Latin America and accounts for more than 50 percent of the working population. Those who are dependent on „making money“ every day with some kind of job on the streets are existentially affected by the quarantine. For them there is neither unemployment insurance nor health protection.

On the Colombian-Venezuelan border. People try to survive where nothing is available anymore.

On the Colombian side in the border area with Venezuela, there have also been riots and looting. Trucks with food were cleared out, as it were. A significant part of the population lives from smuggling and from buying and selling subsidized Venezuelan products on Colombian soil. The border closures hit these people hard.

Looting a supermarket in Mexico. Getty.

In Peru, panic broke out in various supermarkets when the police there tried to arrest alleged looters among the hamster buyers.

Mexico is particularly affected by organized raids. However, according to official statements, this is not the appropriation of food or articles of basic needs. Rather, groups of people come together through Whats-app, who together mainly raid shops with expensive electronic or household appliances. Televisions and microwaves are particularly popular. They arrange the meeting place via mobile phone, check the situation on site and then storm the shops. „This is a group of people who are taking advantage of the exceptional situation of the Corona quarantine to enrich themselves with high-quality goods,“ said the spokeswoman of the Ministry of the Interior. „In none of these cases were food or medicines sought“.

Looting for valuables in Mexico, there is no starvation.

Individual group attacks on shops have been reported from Chile, but so far there are only a few exceptions. Since the beginning of the quarantine, the country has been plagued by a different kind of looting, which mainly affects the socially weak classes: Some companies are increasing the prices of goods like food, toiletries and especially respirators many times over. They speculate with the need and with the fear of infection. In Parliament, the issue led to the accusation that President Sebastian Piñeira was too slow and too petty in his reaction with social aid measures for the needy. The privatized health service is out of reach for this section of the population, and the corona test, for example, costs the equivalent of 35 unaffordable US-dollars.

Looting in Chile. Getty. Situations like this are totally unknown in Uruguay.

No attacks of this kind have yet been reported from Uruguay. The country provides an example of human solidarity from below. People’s kitchens are springing up everywhere like mushrooms. The trade union federation PIT-CNT, basic committees of the left-wing party Frente Amplio, sports clubs, neighborhood groups, even shop and pub owners took part in covering the country with a network of people’s kitchens within a few days. In Montevideo alone there are more than 20 such improvised establishments. There is experience, because during the harsh economic crisis of 2002, Uruguayans organized a similar wave of solidarity, especially in the poorer districts of the city.

Folk kitchen during the Corona Pandemic in Uruguay.

„Nobody is starving here“, says a veteran, waving the large ladle of pasta, minced meat, vegetables and tomato sauce to fill the plastic bowl of a woman with two small children. In fact, this is a deeply rooted cultural tradition.

Many folk kitchens are set up in poor areas to provide food during the Corona Crisis in Uruguay.

Shops in the area supply food, and bakers and butchers make daily donations. The town halls in Montevideo’s administrative districts bring basic foodstuffs to the people’s kitchens by truck. Neighbors donate a kilo of rice, a bag of pasta or a cleaning agent. Everything here is useful. I am happy to be in the most civilized country of Latin America during a crisis like this.  So, be positive, as I am – let’s ride out the Pandemic – and let us look forward to hug our buddies again after the Corona Crisis !
Watch this:

„After Corona, when I meet my old buddies again“. Sent by my good buddy Bernd.

Comment picture added 4/3/2020 8.36 :