[Pharm-policy] Brazil report on threats against German Valasquez

[love@cptech.org]

This is a Babelfish translation of a disturbing report in O Globlo on
threats and assaults on WHO's German Velasquez, over his support for
pro-patient policies on intellectual property rights.  Jamie

http://oglobo.globo.com/arquivo/mundo/20010714/592473.htm

 ONU investigates agent of the OMS 
Deborah Berlinck 
Correspondent 

GENEVA. The French policy of the province of Gex, in the border with
Switzerland, and the security guard of the ONU had confirmed yesterday
that it has an inquiry in course to clarify the threats of death against
the coordinator of the program of the World-wide Organization of Saúde
(OMS) for medicines, the Colombian Germán Velásquez. 

The case, denounced for the GLOBE, launchs serious suspicion on the
pharmaceutical industry and involves a series of incidents in the River,
Miami and France. The periodical got a document yesterday contends the
main points of the version of Velásquez. It is coordinating of a sector
of the OMS that is in the center of the world-wide controversy on
reduction of prices of remedies. 

The incidents had started in May in the Velásquez River, that was in the
city for the ownership of Jorge Bermudez in the route of the National
School of Public Health, of the Fiocruz, was assaulted by two
adolescents with a knife, whom they had wounded its pulse. 

according to document, three days later, when it was in Miami for the
meeting of the OMS, Velásquez was pursued by two armed men, who had make
reference to reference the assault in the River. " You must stop to
criticize the pharmaceutical industry ", you had said. In return Geneva,
received phone calls intimidadores, in 7 and 19 of June, with references
the Miami. The last one was one day before the meeting the World-wide
Organization Comércio (OMC), that it would say on patents and medicines. 

The OMS keeps the case under secrecy. Velásquez entered of vacation and
friends confirm that it was under enormous pressure in the last weeks
due to the intimidations. The OMS only divulged a note, informing that
the case is in the hands of the ONU. 

The head of the security of the ONU, Roland De Stickere, confirmed the
inquiry. The French policy was mobilized the order of the ONU, since the
phone calls had been made for the house of Velásquez, in vilarejo French
Ferney Voltaire. 

-- It has powerful interests that they are being opposed and the
pressure is magnifying -- said the director of the National School of
Public Health, in the River.