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We all know how we will eat
can affect how we feel,
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and that can mean
pretty booming business
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for food that sells itself as a cure.
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I'm talking about herbal remedies.
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They were already a massive
trend in the wellness world
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before we learned about COVID-19,
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and now, they're expected to bring in
even more business.
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In Venezuela, conventional medicine
is in short supply,
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and with no other options,
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people are turning to their roots.
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SELF CURING
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(Dina) What do you have?
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Do you have a hernia?
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Take the bellyache bush.
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- Is it real?
- Of course.
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It contains pepperwort, field horsetail,
crested dog's tail and dandelions.
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The coronavirus has infected
more than 100,000 people in Venezuela
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and sent the country deeper
into an already dire economic crisis.
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But for Dina Santos,
business has never been better.
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(Dina) Every medication in a drugstore
comes from medicinal plants.
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There are antibiotics,
anesthetics, anti-inflammatories.
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Every plant has its own properties.
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The Lord works in mysterious ways.
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Everything happens for a reason.
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Fortunately for me, COVID-19 has meant
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huge growth for my business, thank God.
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Venezuela's hospitals,
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which were among the best
in Latin America only a few years ago,
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now frequently operate
without power or running water.
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Patients bring gloves and narcotics
to their own surgery.
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Now, those who stayed
are trying to survive a pandemic
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in a country that offers
seven hospital beds
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for every 10,000 people.
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If someone calls me
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and they have COVID symptoms,
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I recommend they take
an anti-cold plant package.
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And I'd advise them
to drink lots of lemon juice.
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Miracle remedies and COVID cures
have been sold across the world
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even against expert's recommendations.
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In Venezuela, they were endorsed
from the highest level.
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I'm going to share with you this tea,
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that is delicious,
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natural,
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blessed,
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and good for everything.
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Delicious.
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With your permission.
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Twitter quickly removed Maduro's video
for presenting unproven information,
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but the address
had already aired on state TV,
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which is the only news source
for many Venezuelans.
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(Dina) After [Maduro] started
telling people to drink natural teas,
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people began flooding my stand
looking for these plants.
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He must know that medicinal plants
are as natural a cure as there is.
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We're done for today.
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It wasn't just the people
followed the president blindly.
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For many, natural medicine was
the only accessible option,
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and all that demand drove
the price of certain fruits way up.
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(Ricardo) There are more
than 2 kilos here.
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Diana, write down
just $2 million [VEF], okay?
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Ricardo Heredia is a vendor
in one of Caracas' most upscale markets.
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(Ricardo) I sell all kinds of fruit,
both local and imported produce.
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Now, with the pandemic,
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people buy only the necessary.
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Fruits with medicinal benefits
are always the first pick.
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The price of lemons has tripled
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and citrus fruits have become
a top seller
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since vitamin C boosts the immune system.
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But against doctor's recommendations,
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Heredia believes it can do a lot more.
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(Ricardo) As a Venezuelan,
I believe firmly in traditional medicine.
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Coronavirus first stays in your throat
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and you have fifteen days to flush it.
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You can flush it with things
like warm water or lemon tea.
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And when you flush it, you become immune.
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(Juliet) Sit down Jesky,
I'm gonna tidy up the room.
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Gotta have everything nice and tidy.
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The spike in prices has made it harder
for people like Juliet Rodriguez,
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a housekeeper who earn so little
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that her clients pay her
in flour, rice, and pasta.
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And since March, Rodriguez
has been out of a job
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because those same clients
chose to maintain social distance.
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I live with my husband, four kids,
and a baby on the way.
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Even though during this time,
I haven't gone to the doctor.
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I'm exhausted.
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Rodriguez began to feel symptoms
early in the quarantine.
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People say it's very risky
to have COVID if you're pregnant,
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I was scared to infect my baby,
my other kids, and my husband.
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Oh, God, protect me.
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I was very scared
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because we share our silverware everyday.
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I was scared to kiss my kids,
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it was just fear.
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We don't have the money to buy medicines,
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we worry a lot.
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Because I have to buy food,
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so I can't buy medicine.
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Rodriguez turned to guarapo,
a tea her mother taught her to make.
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(Juliet) Remember when you used
to prepare guarapo for us, mom?
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What kind of guarapo was it?
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(Juliet's mom) Lemongrass, lemon balm,
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mint, Indian borage.
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- All of that?
- Yeah.
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(Juliet's mom) It's being used now
to fight COVID.
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(Juliet) Just guarapo, right?
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(Juliet's mom) Yeah, for COVID.
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(Juliet) People drink a lot more guarapo
than swallow pills.
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People are always looking
for these alternatives.
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You know, traditional medicine,
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because people can't afford medication.
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When Santos got sick
she didn't go to the hospital.
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She relied even more on her plants.
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(Dina) I took it easy, I made my teas.
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I drank a lot of hot lemonade,
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lemongrass with honey and mint,
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bretonica and purple basil.
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And those symptoms only lasted a week.
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Scientists estimate that Venezuela
will soon hit 14,000 new cases a day.
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Before that wave hits,
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Santos plans to do what she can
to protect her loved ones.
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You really don't have to be sick
to drink tea,
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it's a form of prevention.
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Because when you have the tea
or give it to your kids,
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they won't get sick.
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You don't have to wait to be sick,
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to have a good tea.
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Bon appétit.
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- Thanks.
- Enjoy it.