As a number of religious scholars have warned, ‘plagues expose the foundations of injustice’ in our societies,” film director Oliver Stone wrote in an op-ed Saturday exposing the United States (U.S.) government “profound lack of human decency” amid the new coronavirus pandemic.
In the piece published by the New York Daily News, Stone denounces the U.S. government for refusing to remove murderous sanctions on Iran and Venezuela in the context of a global health crisis. He urged for a “serious moral self-reflection,” and warned that countless lives were at risk unless there is an “immediate change in course.”
The award-winning filmmaker highlighted the differences between the government of the U.S. and those of Cuba or China which have sent doctors and medical supplies to a number of countries around the world to help fight the pandemic.
“These actions represent the type of international solidarity and show of humanity that the world needs right now,” he said.
“Sadly, the federal government in Washington is demonstrating the very opposite at this time (...) It is accurate to say that the U.S. is weaponizing the virus against these countries.”
Due to the illegal U.S. sanctions, Iran has been paying a heavy price because of the pandemic. The Islamic Republic is “reportedly the only country in the world that cannot buy medicines needed to fight the pandemic."
According to reports from Iran, one person is dying every 10 minutes, while Iranians along with international health experts fear that millions could die. “If this happens, the U.S. government will bear a great deal of moral and legal responsibility, for it is knowingly contributing to the spread of the pandemic in Iran,” Stone said.
Likewise, the outspoken Hollywood director condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to maintain, and in some cases, to increase economic pressure on countries like Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua as the virus is straining healthcare systems across the planet.
In the case of Venezuela, U.S. “coercion” led the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to refuse the South American country a US$5 billion loan to help fight the pandemic, Stone recalled.
Moreover, the U.S. has taken up its pressure on Caracas amid the global health crisis, accusing the government of drug trafficking and calling for a “transition government” to replace President Nicolas Maduro.
Iran has registered nearly 3,500 COVID-19 deaths, with 19,700 confirmed cases, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University, while Venezuela has so far 159 confirmed cases and seven deaths.
