Venezuela imports 408 tons of drugs from Cuba in two weeks

TRADE



Venezuela imports 408 tons of drugs from Cuba in two weeks



Two shipments of drug products from Farmacuba entered Venezuela through

Puerto Cabello, northwest Venezuela

Products from Farmacuba are not traded in private drug stores nor are

they sold in state-owned drugstore network Farmapatria (File photo /

Venancio Alcázares)

EL UNIVERSAL

Tuesday May 28, 2013 02:02 PM



The Venezuelan government continues importing drugs from Cuba. Some 408

tons of products from Farmacuba arrived in Puerto Cabello, northwest

Venezuela, in 14 days.



The latest shipment hit Venezuela on May 12 with 84 tons, according to a

report published by Informes, a magazine issued by Puerto Cabello

Chamber of Commerce and whose content is based on information from state

company Bolivariana de Puertos (Bolipuertos).



In another shipment, on April 29, 324 tons of products from Farmacuba

entered Venezuela.



Although the pharmaceutical products imported by the Venezuelan

Government from Cuba are not traded in traditional drug stores, Cuba has

become one of Venezuela's main drugs suppliers.



Data from the National Statistics Institute confirms this information.

In 2012, imports from Cuba amounted to USD 324 million, 10.6% up with

respect to 2011.



Last week, the president of state-run pharmaceutical network

Farmapatria, Freddy Arenas, said Farmacuba's products are not sold in

any of Farmapatria's 78 stores.



rdeniz@eluniversal.com



http://www.eluniversal.com/economia/130528/venezuela-imports-408-tons-of-drugs-from-cuba-in-two-weeks