Editor's Note: Roberto Izurieta is Director of Latin American Projects at George Washington University. He has worked in political campaigns in several countries in Latin America and Spain, and was an adviser to Presidents Alejandro Toledo of Peru, Vicente Fox of Mexico and Álvaro Colom of Guatemala. Izurieta is also a contributor to CNN en Español. The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author. See more opinions at CNNe.com/opinion.
(CNN) - Fighting a pandemic of the danger and aggressiveness of the covid-19 is already difficult enough to add to it the politicization, manipulation and corruption that many politicians have added to take advantage of it.
Regarding the virus, each week we have more and better information on how to fight it; there are more treatments and also good news about the progress of a good number of vaccines in different countries.
But one of the most powerful weapons to combat the virus is collective consciousness and solidarity. Here we have a big problem, not only because - like any society - we have different levels of collective information, education and solidarity, but also because the political (and especially electoral) struggle has contaminated the information and education process on the covid-19. That collective conscience is the essential instrument to carry out this fight with the lowest possible cost in diseases, lives, unemployment, economic instability and social disruption (including the psychological and emotional impact).
The most shameful thing in this political fight is the absolute ignorance and / or the intentional promotion of false theories such as: "it is a flu" (Bolsonaro), "it will happen in April with the heat" (Trump) or "we already tame the beast" ( AMLO). Let's be clear, these phrases also promote conspiracy theories, which makes it simply and directly impossible to promote the collective action necessary to combat covid-19 by creating divisions and myths within our communities.
The manipulation and distortion of the facts by these political leaders (more difficult to expose and therefore more dangerous than outright lies and falsehoods) have also produced confusion for many citizens who, believing in the good faith of its leaders find themselves in contradiction between what these politicians tell them and their own common sense, which shows them something else.
Tragically, when demagogic positions are taken in politics on health issues in the midst of a pandemic, the consequences can be devastating, since pandemics do not allow themselves to be diverted by a speech, they continue on their way. In my opinion, the following political positions are the most serious:
–The use of masks. This issue should be out of the political debate from the start. During the pandemic, whose virus is respiratory-transmitted, citizens should wear masks when driving in any public place, as suggested by many national health authorities. Of course, during the periods when there was a shortage of masks, it was necessary to prioritize who to distribute them first, but that was a temporary matter and, when the pandemic is controlled, Public Health will let us know that we will no longer need them.
-As health authorities advise, congregations of people who do not allow maintaining social distance should be avoided: whether in a stadium, park, beach, bar or restaurant. Even though the CDC has offered guidelines, bars and parties can become weapons of mass destruction in this pandemic because, beyond the limit of the capacity of the place, social distance cannot be maintained, the circulation of people increases and everyone wants to speak to the ear.
-We must do tests in a massive and constant way. Scientific information is one of the best weapons we have as a society to face this pandemic. Trump's speech that there are more cases in the US because more tests are done is a dangerous aberration. We see these extreme abuses in some totalitarian countries or populist governments, which simply do not seem to carry out tests to lie to their citizens and to the world. How many cases and, above all, how many deaths will there actually be in Nicaragua or North Korea? There they avoid reporting them (or directly testing). The official numbers are considerably lower than the real ones worldwide, of course, for other factors. In my opinion, this is a crime that threatens humanity.
- Finally, to open or not the economy? I am sure that we all agree to open the economy, since having it closed severely affects the life, employment and health of citizens, but it must be done safely and prudently. But when this debate is also politicized, it prevents us from calibrating the recommendations for public action. On this issue, I am also one of those who believe that every city, district and state is better informed to make openness and progress decisions in transparent communication with its citizens (those with whom you can speak and not with the fans who want to impose their decisions, as happened in Utah).
Beyond certain state and local decisions, which are what I call calibration, depending on the time and place, there must be a national public policy, at least basic, such as that of wearing masks when social distancing cannot be respected and making tests in a massive way so that the information can be used for the treatment and prevention of cases. The rest will come in addition.
Andrés Manuel López ObradorDonald TrumpJair Bolsonaro
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