Bolivia, July 2020
The government has declared 15 days of “rigid” quarantine in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus. But people need to work to be able to eat and therefore protest rises. The government has made some contributions to pay the electric and phone bills and so on but it is not enough to ensure daily bread.
Perhaps the number of deaths cannot be compared with those of Italy but even here death is on the line. Streets in silence, closed churches, empty schools and public services and many rules to be observed to take precautions: you can only go out two days a week for supplies.
People pray a lot in houses and outside churches. It is a pain to see so many suffering people, that is why there are public protests which the government tries to silence by force but it is difficult to silence the voice of hunger and lack of money.
Thanks to aid we have received we reach the most needy families. We were able to carry out the charitable project of the canteens in the parishes of San Carlos and San Juan Bautista of Alalay. The “comedores” have continued to work even during the pandemic but with one detail: each family is given what they will consume in their homes at the moment because there are still restrictions.
The proverb says that after the storm there is always a clear sky. And God’s Word reminds us that if God cares about even a sparrow that falls to the ground, how will he not care about us?
Fr. Mario Comina, missionary