about the multisectoral strategy that is being developed for the care and protection of indigenous and native peoples, within the framework of the health emergency decreed in mid-March to stop the advance of the new coronavirus (COVID- 19).
The Culture Ministry official emphasized that —given the context characterized by a pandemic— actions were deployed, special regulations were approved, and extraordinary budgets were allocated in order to prevent infections from increasing in areas belonging to indigenous or native citizens.
She explained that —in order to face COVID-19— the Peruvian Government approved a rule, valid as a law, which includes a multisectoral strategy for: health response, territorial control,
the supply of essential goods, information and early warning, as well as for the protection of indigenous peoples in situation of isolation and initial contact.
"A system is being implemented. In a timely manner, it identifies possible symptomatic COVID-19 cases, through real-time information provided by a network of representative organizations or federations of Andean and Amazonian indigenous peoples at the regional and local levels," Acevedo expressed, while mentioning that this has allowed the monitoring of more than 20,000 indigenous citizens.
Likewise, in order to provide essentials, multiple State coordinations have been carried out in order to provide indigenous communities with food during these months of pandemic.
Finally, the Deputy Interculturality minister reported that an interpretation and translation service into indigenous or native languages has been created for emergency situations, which will be provided through a call center. It will facilitate the care of the country's indigenous citizens, as well as the access to public services in Peru.
She added that massive information campaigns are being developed —through text messages and prerecorded calls in indigenous or native languages— for those areas belonging to indigenous citizens where there is no internet signal.