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