20 March 2017, 01:20 GMT
MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called on the United Nations Friday to support the country's pharmaceutical industry and to help in providing the population with medicines.
"The UN has the most advanced opportunities to restore the national pharmaceutical production facilities," Maduro said, as quoted by the Noticias24 media outlet.
Venezuela is facing major deficit of medications. The country’s opposition urged the government to apply to the international authorities for support with medicines supply, but the appeals have been ignored so far.
Maduro declared an economic emergency in Venezuela in January 2016. The opposition has blamed him for the economic crisis in the country, which has seen multiple mass protests amid shortages of food, goods and services.
Earlier this month, the Venezuelan government extended the economic emergency in the country.
