Bioactive compounds of cinnamon and their effect on decreasing metabolic syndrome: systematic review / Compuestos bioactivos de canela y su efecto en la disminución del síndrome metabólico: revisión sistemática

Introducción. El síndrome metabólico (SM) aumenta el ingreso hospitalario y el riesgo de desarrollar COVID-19, los fármacos utilizados para su tratamiento ocasionan efectos secundarios por lo que se ha optado por la búsqueda de alternativas terapéuticas a base de compuestos bioactivos contenidos en plantas medicinales. La canela se utiliza como agente terapéutico debido a sus propiedades comprobadas con diversos mecanismos de acción reportados en el tratamiento de varias patologías. Objetivo. Documentar los estudios in vitro, in vivo, estudios clínicos y los mecanismos de acción reportados del efecto de la administración de extractos y polvo de canela en las comorbilidades relacionadas con el SM. Materiales y métodos. Revisión sistemàtica de artículos en bases de datos electrónicas, incluyendo estudios de canela en polvo, extractos acuosos, de acetato de etilo y metanol de la corteza de canela, período de 5 años, excluyendo todo artículo relacionado a su efecto antimicrobiano, antifúngico y aceite de canela. Resultados. Las evidencias de los principales compuestos bioactivos contenidos en la canela validan su potencial en el tratamiento de enfermedades relacionadas al SM, con limitados estudios que indagan en los mecanismos de acción correspondientes a sus actividades biológicas. Conclusiones. Las evidencias de las investigaciones validan su potencial en el tratamiento de estas patologías, debido a sus principales compuestos bioactivos: cinamaldehído, transcinamaldehído, ácido cinámico, eugenol y, antioxidantes del tipo proantocianidinas A y flavonoides, los cuales participan en diversos mecanismos de acción que activan e inhiben enzimas, con efecto hipoglucemiante (quinasa y fosfatasa), antiobesogénico (UPC1), antiinflamatorio (NOS y COX), hipolipemiante (HMG-CoA) y antihipertensivo (ECA)(AU)

Introduction. Metabolic syndrome (MS) increases hospital admission and the risk of developing COVID-19. Due to the side effects caused by the drugs used for its treatment, the search for therapeutic alternatives based on bioactive compounds contained in medicinal plants has been chosen. Cinnamon is used as a therapeutic agent due to its proven properties with various mechanisms of action reported in the treatment of various pathologies. Objective. To document the in vitro and in vivo studies, clinical studies and the mechanisms of action reported on the effect of the administration of cinnamon extracts and powder on comorbidities related to MS. Materials and methods. Systematic review of articles in electronic databases, including studies of cinnamon powder, aqueous extracts, ethyl acetate and methanol from cinnamon bark, over a period of 5 years, excluding all those articles related to its antimicrobial, antifungal and antimicrobial effect. cinnamon oil. Results. The evidence of the main bioactive compounds contained in cinnamon validates its potential in the treatment of diseases related to MS, with limited studies that investigate the mechanisms of action corresponding to its biological activities. Conclusions. Research evidence validates its potential in the treatment of these pathologies, due to its main bioactive compounds: cinnamaldehyde, transcinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, eugenol, and antioxidants of the proanthocyanidin A type and flavonoids, which participate in various mechanisms of action that activate and they inhibit enzymes, with hypoglycemic (kinase and phosphatase), antiobesogenic (UPC1), anti-inflammatory (NOS and COX), lipid-lowering (HMG-CoA) and antihypertensive (ACE) effects(AU)

Analysis of the Features of Sustainable Development of the Mercosur Countries in the Context of the Covid-19 Pandemic

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to identify the features of sustainable development of the MERCOSUR countries in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use comparative and retrospective analysis to identify the distinguishing characteristics of countries meeting the sustainable development goals. The objects of research are the MERCOSUR countries. Findings: It has been established that Uruguay is the undisputed leader in sustainable development in the context of COVID-19. Two countries: Brazil and Venezuela slowed down the pace of implementation of national sustainable development strategies due to the pandemic and other reasons. Originality/value: According to the results of the analysis, it was revealed that countries that have long-term national strategies for sustainable development are more stable in achieving sustainable development goals. The size of a national economy does not guarantee that it can successfully overcome an external shock such as the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Innovative strategies to remotely sample hard-to-reach populations: Assessing phone versus Internet respondent driven sampling approaches among Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Colombia.

It is challenging to quantitatively measure vulnerability and risk factors of refugees and migrants residing outside of formal settlement settings. For hard-to-reach populations without available sampling frames, researchers have increasingly turned to novel sampling and statistical methods, like respondent-driven sampling (RDS). 'Standard' RDS is typically conducted face-to-face at fixed sites. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face survey methods and recruitment approaches posed high potential risk of virus transmission and infection, making remote RDS approaches optimal. This paper explores the feasibility of implementing phone and Internet RDS strategies to assess challenges faced by Venezuelan refugees and migrants in the city of Bogotá, Colombia's capital, and the department of Norte de Santander, the main Venezuelan-Colombian border crossing site. The authors describe RDS assumptions, survey design, formative research, and the implementation of both strategies and present diagnostics to determine whether assumptions are met. Phone-based recruitment strategies in both locations and the Internet strategy in Bogotá achieved their calculated sample size, however the Internet strategy in Norte de Santander did not. Most RDS assumptions were sufficiently met in sites where sample sizes were reached. These surveys provide valuable lessons learned for implementing innovative remote strategies to study hard-to-reach populations such as refugees and migrants.

Outbreaks of different viral etiologies amidst COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected public health system and surveillance of other communicable diseases across the globe. The lockdown, travel constraints and COVID phobia turned down the number of people with illness visiting to the clinics or hospitals. Besides this, the heavy workload of SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis has led to the reduction in differential diagnosis of other diseases. Consequently, it added to the underlying burden of many diseases which remained under-diagnosed. Amidst the pandemic, the rise of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases was observed worldwide and reported to the World Health Organization i.e., Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (2022, Iraq;2021 India), Nipah virus (2021, India), Zika virus (2021, India), and H5N1 influenza (2021, India), Monkeypox (2022, multicountry outbreak), Ebola virus disease (2022, DRC, Uganda;2021, DRC, Guinea;2020, DRC), Marburg (2022, Ghana;2021, Guinea), Yellow fever (2022, Uganda, Kenya, West and Central Africa;2021, Ghana, Venezuela, Nigeria;2020, Senegal, Guinea, Nigeria, Gabon;2020, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda), Dengue (2022, Nepal, Pakistan, Sao Tome, Temor-Leste;2021, Pakistan), Middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (2022, Oman, Qatar;2021, Saudi Arabia, UAE;2020, Saudi Arabia, UAE), Rift valley fever (2021, Kenya;2020, Mauritania), wild poliovirus type 1 (2022, Mozambique), Lassa fever (2022, Guinea, Togo, Nigeria;2020, Nigeria), Avian Influenza (H3N8) (2022, China), Avian Influenza (H5N1) (2022, USA), H10N3 influenza (2021, China), Hepatitis E virus (2022, Sudan), Measles (2022, Malawi, Afghanistan;2020, Burundi, Mexico), Mayaro virus disease (2020, French Guiana), Oropouche virus disease (2020, French Guiana). All these diseases were associated with high morbidity and burdened the public health system during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this critical public health menace, majority of the laboratory workforce was mobilized to the SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis. This has limited the surveillance efforts that likely led to under diagnosis and under-detection of many infectious pathogens. Lockdowns and travel limitations also put a hold on human and animal surveillance studies to assess the prevalence of these zoonotic viruses. In addition, lack of supplies and laboratory personnel and an overburdened workforce negatively impacted differential diagnosis of the diseases. This is especially critical given the common symptoms between COVID-19 and other pathogens causing respiratory illnesses. Additionally, the vaccination programs against various vaccine preventable diseases were also hampered which might have added to the disease burden. Despite these challenges, the world is better prepared to detect and respond to emerging/re-emerging pathogens. India now has more than 3000 COVID-19 diagnostic laboratories and an enhanced hospital infrastructure. In addition, mobile BSL-3 facilities are being validated for onsite sampling and testing in remote areas during outbreak situations and surveillance activities. This will undoubtedly be valuable as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves as well as during future outbreaks and epidemics. In conclusion, an increase in the emergence and re-emergence of viruses demonstrates that other infectious diseases have been neglected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lessons learned from the infrastructure strengthening, collaborations with multiple stakeholders, increased laboratory and manufacturing capacity, large-scale COVID-19 surveillance, extensive network for laboratory diagnosis, and intervention strategies can be implemented to provide quick, concerted responses against the future threats associated with other zoonotic pathogens.

The Long Game: The Opposition Wins in Honduras

Opposition parties in competitive authoritarian regimes rarely win elections by a landslide, especially where poverty, repressive security forces, and clientelism abound. Yet in November 2021, Honduras's opposition defeated the incumbent National Party against the odds. This essay argues that the opposition succeeded by "playing the long game": 1) building a mass-party organization, 2) continually participating in elections, and 3) forging unity through power-sharing. Paradoxically, the Honduran opposition's lack of international support incentivized these choices and became a blessing in disguise. Whether Xiomara Castro will rebuild democracy remains uncertain, but her coalition's route to power yields lessons for oppositions elsewhere.

Food insecurity and eating behavior prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. An exploratory study in Venezuela.

Background: The aim of this research was to explore how food insecurity affected food behavior prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (year 2018-2019) in a sample of people residing in nine administrative regions of Venezuela. Method(s): 1099 people aged between 17 and 75 years participated, with a majority residing in the Andes, Capital and Central regions of the country. A reduced version of a modified national survey on living conditions (Encovi-2017) composed of 11 questions was administered. Estimates with chi square (chi2) were made to verify associations between the characteristics of the sample (age, region of origin and sex) with the approaches of the administered survey. Result(s): A high degree of food insecurity was observed as people reported concerns about food access (88.95%), or lack of them (55.79%), periods of food deprivation and alteration of eating patterns. Those participants under 21 years were more likely to alter their daily intake pattern (p = 0.01), with women being the most affected in terms of the family running out of food in the last three months (p = 0.020) and if in the last trimester a whole day had gone without eating (p = 0.05). Conclusion(s): The study shows that women and young people under 21 years of age or middle-aged adults and inhabitants of the Capital region turn out to be the people most affected by food insecurity as they consumed less food or ate fewer servings per day. The data reveal a worsening of the food situation.Copyright © 2022 Sociedad Espanola de Nutricion Comunitaria. All rights reserved.

Improving COVID-19 knowledge in a community located in the Caroni municipality, Venezuela

Introduction: despite the devastating effect of COVID-19, many nations have lifted their restrictions. It is necessary to keep addressing this problem using the promotion via, in order to increase people's health training. Background: to assess the efficacy of an educational program performed to increase the level of knowledge concerning COVID-19 in patients who live in the Aponwao Village, Caroni, Venezuela, during the period November 2021-February 2022. Method: a pre-experimental intervention study was carried out, with a before-and-after design implied. A total of 85 patients were chosen as sample, selected by simple random sampling. It was applied a survey to all the patients selected, an educationaldidactic and interactive program was designed and implemented, and a final evaluation was carried out to verify the effectiveness of the program. Results: female sex was the most representative group (54.1%) and 41.2% of patients were in the age group of 25 to 44. The predominant risk factor was the non-use of means for prevention against COVID-19 infection (28.6%) and 17.6% of patients surveyed suffered from hypertension. Before carried out the intervention study, 48.2% of participants had an insufficient level of knowledge;after applied the educational program, 52.9% increase their knowledge passing to "Good" knowledge level. Conclusions: the implementation of the educational program made possible to increase the level of knowledge concerning COVID-19, so that its efficacy for preventing this infection in Primary Health Care it is effective.

Social and occupational multidimensionality of the determinants of health in the face of Sars-CoV-2 / Polidimensionalidad social y laboral de los determinantes de la salud ante el Sars-CoV-2

Tras el advenimiento de un nuevo patógeno denominado Sars-CoV-2, los esfuerzos iniciales centraron su atención en la contención del virus a fin de disminuir su transmisibilidad, contrarrestando los efectos patológicos, disminuyendo el impacto psicosocial. Al ser un peligro emergente de alcance global, que afectó todos los estratos y entornos de la sociedad, pueden existir determinantes polidimensionales emergentes, en lo social y laboral, que aún pueden ser desconocidas, las cuales pueden repercutir en la esperanza de vida de una población. Se realizó una búsqueda sistemática y posterior caracterización de las polidimensiones sociales y laborales que emergieron de forma directa o indirecta a consecuencia del Sars-CoV-2, y a la declaración de pandemia Covid-19, la cual impuso el aislamiento generalizado de la población mundial, como primera barrera de contención para evitar el contagio masivo, e indujo profundas transformaciones en todos los ámbitos y determinantes de la salud del ser humano. La dimensión social, conformada por los factores modo de vida, circunstancias materiales y relaciones humanas, presentó múltiples desafíos y cambios para adaptarse a las nuevas circunstancias de la vida en pandemia. De igual manera, la dimensión laboral, ampliamente afectada por la desestabilización de los mercados y la crisis económica circundante, tuvo que modificar sensiblemente cada uno de sus factores constituyente para sobrellevar el efecto del confinamiento generalizado, afectando la productividad de las organizaciones, los riesgos de transmisibilidad del virus, las alteraciones en los social, familiar, personal y de salud y las múltiples interacciones con sus factores determinantes(AU)

After the advent of a new pathogen called Sars-CoV-2, the initial efforts focused on containing the virus in order to reduce its transmissibility, counteracting the pathological effects, and reducing the psychosocial impact. Being an emerging danger of global scope, which affected all strata and environments of society, there may be emerging multidimensional determinants, in the social and labor spheres, which may still be unknown, and may affect the life expectancy of a population.A systematic search and subsequent characterization of the social and labor polydimensions that emerged directly or indirectly as a result of Sars-CoV-2, and the declaration of the Covid-19 pandemic, which imposed the generalized isolation of the world population, was carried out as the first containment barrier to prevent massive contagion, and induced profound transformations in all areas and determinants of human health. The social dimension, made up of lifestyle factors, material circumstances, and human relationships, presented multiple challenges and changes to adapt to the new circumstances of life in a pandemic. Similarly, the labor dimension, widely affected by the destabilization of the markets and the surrounding economic crisis, had to significantly modify each of its constituent factors to withstand the effect of generalized confinement, affecting the productivity of organizations, the risks of transmissibility of the virus, alterations in social, family, personal and health conditions and the multiple interactions with its determining factors(AU)

Continuity of Latin American crises and struggles in times of pandemic

After numerous mobilizations during 2019, the health crisis at the beginning of 2020 led to the implementation of multiple restrictive measures, limiting or prohibiting travel and gatherings in the public space in several Latin American countries. The severity of these measures and the choice of designating armed actors for their enforcement suggest that social and political struggles have come to a halt. Based on Chilean, Guatemalan and Venezuelan cases, selected for their great disparities, this paper argues that the health situation plays only a marginal role in the evolution of mobilization dynamics. More broadly, the pandemic does not seem to imply any fundamental upheaval in the evolution of social movements. © 2022 Institut des Hautes Etudes de l'Amerique Latine (IHEAL). All rights reserved.

Lessons Learned from the Educational Experience during COVID-19 from the Perspective of Latin American University Students

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the educational context. University students were exposed to an educational transition from a face-to-face context to emergency remote teaching (ERT). This change affected the educational experience of students and teachers in general, and impacted their educational performance, as well as their emotional and mental health, among other aspects. However, learning from the successes during the ERT and reflecting on good and bad practices will allow us to configure effective learning scenarios that respond to the new normal. The objective of this paper is to describe and present the lessons learned during ERT from the experience of university students in Latin America who have already returned to face-to-face instruction. The study used a qualitative inductive approach and a phenomenographic design. The sample consisted of 640 undergraduate students (63% women) of higher education who experienced online education during the year 2021 and a face-to-face modality during the first semester of 2022, belonging to universities in Chile, Venezuela, and Ecuador. The results suggest that new learning scenarios should consider specific pedagogical practices, including active, collaborative, meaningful, and problem-based strategies, together with a diversity of feedback practices. It is concluded that the ERT brought good practices that should guide university educational policies. © 2023 by the authors.

Health and nutrition status of nutritionists during the covid-19 confinement: A gender approach / Estado de salud y nutrición de los/as nutricionistas durante el confinamiento por la covid-19: un enfoque de género

El mundo ha convulsionado por la pandemia ocasionada por el coronavirus (COVID-19) que fuese reportado en diciembre de 2019 desde Wuhan-China, este virus tiene altas tasas de contagio y ocasiona severas enfermedades respiratorias e inclusive la muerte. Ante esta crisis, el confinamiento ha permitido controlar eficazmente la propagación. El impacto negativo sobre el estilo de vida constituye un nuevo factor de riesgo para el estado nutricional y de salud. Objetivo: Describir el estado de salud y nutrición de los/as nutricionistas durante el confinamiento por la covid-19: desde una perspectiva de género. Materiales y métodos: En este contexto, se desarrolló un estudio descriptivo, transversal y enfoque cuantitativo, para indagar algunas variables: sociodemográficas, económicas, condición de salud, y estado nutricional. Se aplicó una encuesta estructurada online dirigida a 359 nutricionistas graduados hasta el 28 de agosto de 2020 en la Universidad Técnica del Norte. Se usaron los correos electrónicos del Sistema Integrado Informático Universitario (SIIU). La muestra aleatoria fue de 136 profesionales, 95% de confianza (error = 6,7%). Resultados: El 79,41% fueron mujeres en su mayoría menores de 30 años y 20,59% hombres mayores de 30 años. El 59,56% tiene empleo, 23,52% en el área de salud. Los ingresos económicos de la mayor parte de hombres superan los 788 dólares. El 38,97% de la muestra tiene sobrepeso y el riesgo cardio metabólico afecta al 71,43% de hombres y 47,22% de mujeres, cerca del 25% poseen al menos una enfermedad crónica como: sobrepeso, hipotiroidismo, depresión/ansiedad e hipertensión arterial. El 32% tuvo familiares con Covid-19 de los cuales un 19,6% fallecieron. Conclusión: Los nutricionistas se han visto afectados en su situación laboral, económica, social y de salud(AU)

The world has been convulsed by the pandemic caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) that was reported in December 2019 from Wuhan-China, this virus has high rates of contagion and causes severe respiratory diseases and even death. In the face of this crisis, confinement has made it possible to effectively control the spread. The negative impact on lifestyle constitutes a new risk factor for nutritional and health status. Objective: To describe the state of health and nutrition of nutritionists during confinement due to covid-19: from a gender perspective. Materials and methods: In this context, a descriptive, cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach was developed to investigate some variables: sociodemographic, economic, health condition, and nutritional status. An online structured survey was applied to 359 nutritionists graduated until August 28, 2020 at the Universidad Técnica del Norte. The emails of the Integrated University Information System (SIIU) were used. The random sample was 136 professionals, 95% confidence (error = 6.7%). Results: 79.41% were women, mostly under 30 years of age, and 20.59% were men over 30 years of age. 59.56% have a job, 23.52% in the health area. The economic income of most men exceeds 788 dollars. 38.97% of the sample is overweight and cardiometabolic risk affects 71.43% of men and 47.22% of women, about 25% have at least one chronic disease such as: overweight, hypothyroidism, depression/anxiety and high blood pressure. 32% had relatives with Covid-19, of whom 19.6% died. Conclusion: Nutritionists have been affected in their work, economic, social and health situation(AU)

Home medical care for patients with covid-19 / Atención médica a domicilio en pacientes con covid-19

La atención de salud en domicilio es un servicio que brindan los profesionales sanitarios en los hogares de los pacientes en tiempos de pandemia por Covid-19; este servicio sufrió alteraciones en su proceso desde la planificación hasta la atención. Objetivo: Describir el proceso de atención medica a domicilio en pacientes con covid-19. Materiales y Método: Con el objetivo de describir el proceso de atención médica en domicilio a pacientes con Covid-19, se realiza el presente artículo elaborado como una revisión bibliográfica; de un nivel de investigación tipo descriptivo en donde se realizó un análisis sistemático de los documentos encontrados en la web. Resultados: Se encontraron estudios relacionados, donde indican que las visitas domiciliarias a personas con Covid-19 y se priorizó la identificación temprana de los signos de peligro. Conclusión: A pesar del riesgo de contagio de los profesionales de salud, continuaron realizando las visitas domiciliarias brindando una atención médica adecuada(AU)

Home health care is a service provided by health professionals in patients' homes in times of the Covid-19 pandemic; This service suffered changes in its process from planning to care. Objective: To describe the process of home health care in patients with covid-19Materials and Method: With the aim of describing the process of medical care at home for patients with Covid-19, this article is prepared as a bibliographic review; of a descriptive type research level where a systematic analysis of the documents found on the web was carried out. Results: Related studies were found, indicating that home visits to people with Covid-19 and early identification of danger signs were prioritized. Conclusion: Despite the risk of infection of health professionals, they continued to make home visits providing adequate medical care(AU)

Venezuela en tiempo de pandemia Covid-19: Representaciones sociales y la estrategia de mitigación multi-nivel. La economía local emergente en el municipio Caroní, Estado Bolívar

En marzo de 2020 fue declarada una pandemia por la COVID-19 y los gobiernos del mundo implementaron la cuarentena. Partimos de la premisa de que todo dependería de las representaciones sociales sobre la pandemia, variable que impactó también la economía en todas sus escalas. En Venezuela el 16 de marzo de 2020, el gobierno decretó una cuarentena radical que fue reestructurada a un método denominado 7+7. El artículo muestra la acción colectiva multi-nivel de los actores socio-institucionales con énfasis en el Estado Bolívar, de importancia económica nacional e internacional por su vinculación fronteriza con Brasil. El trabajo de campo fue en el municipio Caroní entre marzo 2020 – diciembre 2021, con un enfoque de investigación en tiempo real sobre los procesos de interacciones entre los actores involucrados y las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC). Como resultado se tiene que las acciones colectivas emprendidas;entre los niveles de gobierno y sus instituciones, el sector privado y la sociedad civil fueron significativas para contener la propagación del virus y mantener la subsistencia de la economía local. Se concluye en que fueron determinantes: el esquema de cuarentena 7+7 y las acciones a nivel local producto de los acuerdos entre la mayoría de los segmentos de la sociedad. Por último, resaltan la forma y el método para el manejo de la información y comunicación que permitió hacer explícitas las normas, los acuerdos y reglas funcionales en pandemia en medio de complejas y confusas representaciones sociales.Alternate abstract:In March 2020, a pandemic was declared by COVID-19 and the governments of the world implemented the quarantine. We start from the premise that everything would depend on the social representations of the pandemic, a variable that also impacted the economy on all its scales. In Venezuela on March 16, 2020, the government decreed a radical quarantine that was restructured to a method called 7+7. The article shows the multilevel collective action of the socio-institutional actors with emphasis on the Bolívar State, of national and international economic importance due to its border link with Brazil. The field work was carried out in the Caroní municipality between March 2020 - December 2021, with a real-time research approach on the processes of interactions between the actors involved and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). As a result, the collective actions undertaken;between the levels of government and its institutions, the private sector and civil society were significant in containing the spread of the virus and maintaining the subsistence of the local economy. It is concluded that the 7+7 quarantine scheme and the actions at the local level resulting from the agreements between most segments of society were decisive. Finally, they will highlight the form and method for the management of information and communication that made it possible to clean up the norms, agreements, and functional rules in a pandemic in the midst of complex and confusing social representations

Perspectives of health practitioners on the challenges to accessing sexual and reproductive health care services for Venezuelan migrant women during the COVID-19 pandemic in Quito, Ecuador.

Objectives: To describe the perspectives of health practitioners on the barriers, gaps, and opportunities that Venezuelan migrant women experienced to accessing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services during the COVID-19 pandemic and how SRH services were affected in Quito, Ecuador. Methods: Health practitioners involved in SRH services at nine public health care facilities in three zones of Quito were surveyed. The Minimum Initial Service Package readiness assessment tool survey, available from the Inter-Agency Working Group on Reproductive Health in Crisis, was adapted for use and data collection in Ecuador. Results: Of 297 respondents, 227 were included in the analysis. Only 16% of the health practitioners agreed that discrimination against migrant Venezuelans women occurred in the health care system. Of those, only 2.3% described specific conditions associated with discrimination, including requiring identification documents (7.5%) and lack of empathy or responsiveness (6.6%). Most (65.2%) respondents reported that the COVID-19 pandemic affected the use of SRH services by women in the general population and by Venezuelan migrant women more so (56.3%) because of more limited access to SRH services, poverty, and vulnerability. There were no differences between perceptions by levels of health care facility, except with regard to the lack of supplies, awareness of discrimination, and the belief that Venezuelan migrant women were affected more negatively than the local population. Conclusion: The perception among health practitioners in Quito was that discrimination occurred infrequently during the COVID-19 pandemic despite affecting the health care system. However, some level of discrimination toward migrant Venezuelan migrant women seeking SRH services was acknowledged and may be underrepresented.

Qualitative assessment of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on migration, access to healthcare, and social wellbeing among Venezuelan migrants and refugees in Colombia.

Background: Colombia hosts a large number of Venezuelan migrants and refugees who are uniquely vulnerable and have been markedly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is necessary to understand their experiences to inform future policy decisions both in Colombia and during disease outbreaks in other humanitarian contexts in the future. As part of a larger study focused on HIV among Venezuelans residing in Colombia, qualitative interviews were conducted to understand this population's experiences and access to healthcare. Methods: Interviews were conducted with Venezuelan migrants and refugees as well as stakeholders such as care providers, humanitarian workers, and government officials. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded using thematic content analysis. Select quotes were translated and edited for length and/or clarity. Results: Venezuelan migrants and refugees reported high levels of housing instability, job instability, increased barriers to accessing healthcare, and complications in engaging in the HIV care continuum, among other impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Stakeholders reported complications in provision of care and obtaining medicines, difficulty maintaining contact with patients, increased discrimination and xenophobia targeting Venezuelan migrants and refugees, increased housing instability among Venezuelan migrants and refugees, and other impacts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the unique impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic among Venezuelans residing in Colombia by both compounding extant vulnerabilities and introducing new challenges, such as high rates of eviction. Colombia has enacted increasingly inclusive migration policies for Venezuelan refugees and migrants within the country; findings from this study underscore the necessity for such policies both in and outside of the Colombian context.

Autocratization and public administration: the revolutionary-populist regime in Venezuela in comparative perspective

What happens to state bureaucracies when authoritarianism emerges? How do autocrats seek to use the administration to their ends, and how does it react? The paper analyzes Venezuela as a showcase for autocratization in Latin America. Under Chavismo-Madurismo, the general objective of the regime was to expand and co-opt all the state institutions, including public administration, to subordinate it to the "revolution” and to gain control over oil revenues. As the central aspect of the paper, we will analyse the strategies of the Chavista governments vis á vis the administration to achieve these goals. We identify three main strategies that were used to sideline the bureaucracy: repression and firing;circumventing and neglecting;and militarisation. With these strategies, Chavismo-Madurismo dismantled the former existing public administration and installed a new administration, loyal to the regime, as a part of the process of autocratization. The paper also addresses how the autocratic regime has (mis)used the public management of the Covid-pandemic to strengthen autocracy under the disguise of a state of emergency.

Can the New Left Deliver Change in Latin America?

The intense Latin American electoral cycle of 2020–22 coincided with deteriorating socio-economic conditions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing frustration with the status quo. Anti-incumbent sentiment coupled with demands for more inclusive and fair economic models prompted a pronounced shift to the left in the region, although with many different shades of ‘pink'. But an increasingly polarised and fragmented political and social environment is testing the ability of new governments to deliver change, as shown by the popular rejection of a new constitution in Chile. A more limited fiscal space is also constraining these governments' effectiveness. Nevertheless, political alignment among countries with important stakes in global climate-change mitigation and thwarting drug trafficking could produce more cohesive foreign-policy stances and increased regional leverage.

Empowering Teachers in Rural Venezuela: Ensuring Strong Foundations in Education through Amblema

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools in 2020, the effect on rural areas was significant. Access to the internet in rural areas is limited and cost prohibitive. This article discusses why we must find ways to ensure education delivery in urban and rural areas. Unfortunately, many school systems in developing countries lack the expertise and resources to ensure quality education. That is where programs like Amblema come in and bridge the gap. Amblema promotes the values and virtues of self-reliance. With simplicity at its core, a clear set of measurable objectives, and an easy-to-execute selection of activities, Amblema is an innovative practice for education delivery in both urban and rural areas.

Venezuela in times of the Covid-19 pandemic: Social representations and the multi-level mitigation strategy. The emerging local economy in the Caroni municipality, Bolivar State

In March 2020, a pandemic was declared by COVID-19 and the governments of the world implemented the quarantine. We start from the premise that everything would depend on the social representations of the pandemic, a variable that also impacted the economy on all its scales. In Venezuela on March 16, 2020, the government decreed a radical quarantine that was restructured to a method called 7+7. The article shows the multilevel collective action of the socio-institutional actors with emphasis on the Bolivar State, of national and international economic importance due to its border link with Brazil. The field work was carried out in the Caroni municipality between March 2020 - December 2021, with a real-time research approach on the processes of interactions between the actors involved and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). As a result, the collective actions undertaken;between the levels of government and its institutions, the private sector and civil society were significant in containing the spread of the virus and maintaining the subsistence of the local economy. It is concluded that the 7+7 quarantine scheme and the actions at the local level resulting from the agreements between most segments of society were decisive. Finally, they will highlight the form and method for the management of information and communication that made it possible to clean up the norms, agreements, and functional rules in a pandemic in the midst of complex and confusing social representations