The protests will take place Friday, May 13: 12:30 PM at the Brazilian Mission to the UN, 747 Third Ave., btw. 46th and 47th Sts., Manhattan and 12:30 PM at the Brazilian Embassy, Washington D.C. 3006 Massachusetts Avenue, NW

AIDS activists will deliver a spine to the Brazilian government at the Brazilian Mission to the UN and the Brazilian Embassy, along with a memorandum to Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Health, and the President of Brazil during two simultaneous rallies.

The protesters are joining Brazilian civil society groups in an international campaign to urge Brazil to keep its promise to increase access to HIV treatment by breaking patent monopolies on key AIDS medicines through a WTO-legal, cost-cutting mechanism used to protect public health called "compulsory licensing."

"Brazil has shown tremendous leadership in the fight against AIDS," said John Riley of ACT UP New York. "Poor country governments and AIDS activists are now looking to Brazil to keep its promise and to take all necessary steps to override the patents on these overpriced, desperately-needed second-generation AIDS drugs. All eyes are watching Brazil."

"Brazil has let itself be bullied by big drug companies long enough," said Dr. Paul Zeitz, Executive Director of Global AIDS Alliance. "It's time for Brazil to stand up to them and show the world the kind of global leadership this issue so desperately needs."

On March 15 2005, Brazil announced its intent to issue compulsory licenses for four high-priced, patented AIDS medicines if drug companies did not negotiate voluntary licensing agreements for the drugs after one month. The deadline passed with no announcement from Brazil. The medicines are critical for HIV treatment when initial combinations of medicine have failed. The cost of these four drugs alone is 80% of the Brazilian AIDS budget, threatening the sustainability the program.

An open letter to the government of Brazil, initiated by Brazilian civil society organizations and signed by 200 groups from around the world, calls the government a "tiger with no teeth," for its as yet unfulfilled promises to break patent monopolies on these critically important AIDS drugs. (The civil society statement is posted on www.healthgap.org.)

Brazil's National STD/AIDS program has been internationally lauded for its program of universal HIV treatment access and bold prevention campaigns. Last week Brazil rejected $40 million in AIDS funding from the United States that was conditioned on Brazil agreeing to condemn prostitution.

"The success of the Brazilian AIDS treatment program has been made possible by the local production of generic medicines. This policy has brought down the price of raw materials for antiretroviral medications internationally. The Health Ministry must stand up to pharmaceutical companies--not only for the Brazilian people, but for people living with AIDS around the world," said Sean Barry of Health GAP.

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AIDS Activists Demand Brazil Issue Compulsory Licenses on Drugs

ACT UP * Student Global AIDS Campaign * Health GAP (Global Access Project)

low and hi-resolution photos at: http://outfm.org/News/20050513%20brazil.html

(May 13, 2005, Manhattan and Washington DC) At 12:30p on Friday, AIDS activists held simultaneous rallies at the Brazilian Embassy in Washington DC and Brazil's Mission to the United Nations in New York. Bearing signs with pictures of toothless tigers reading, "Minister Costa, Enough Toothless posturing, Compulsory Licensing of AIDS Drugs Now," and "Brazil Break the AIDS Drug Monopoly/Generic AIDS Drugs Now" activists called on the Brazilian Health Minister to show leadership and break the monopoly on costly HIV medicines.

Activists expressed their solidarity with Brazilian civil society groups who have called for an international campaign to pressure the Brazilian government to stand up to the exorbitant amounts charged by foreign drug companies. The US demonstrators called on Brazil to issue compulsory licenses for the generic production of 4 vital AIDS drugs.

In New York, activists from the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, or ACT UP, and members of Health Gap protested in front of the Brazilian Mission to the United Nations. At the request of the demonstrators, Minister Estrada Meyer (UN Minister for Economic, Social and Humanitarian Affairs) came outside to receive the declaration and talk to press.

Activists told Brazilian Minister Frederico S. Duque Estrada Meyer that they are angry that the government failed act when drug companies refused to meet the deadline for completion of voluntary drug licenses negotiations. Demonstrators also presented Minister Meyer with a spine they urged the Brazilian government to use to stand tall against the multinational pharmaceutical industry.

Protestors noted Brazil's courage when it refused to censor its highly effective AIDS prevention program as a condition for receiving US AIDS prevention money. Activists encouraged Brazil to again show its courage by using the teeth of compulsory licensing against the AIDS drug monopoly that is engaged in unethical price gouging. Some activists carried signs depicting the three drug companies who are refusing to issue reasonable voluntary licenses as a Cerberus, a three headed dog which prevents the dead from leaving hell.

In Washington, activists arrived at the Brazilian embassy holding a six foot spine made of foam with a sign saying "Brazil's spine." They gave short speeches on the importance of using the maximum flexibilities in TRIPS, the W.T.O trade agreement permiting compulsory licensing, urging the government to stand up to the powerful pharmaceutical industry, maintaining the reputation Brazil's national AIDS program and ensuring universal access for all people living with HIV/AIDS in the country.

The activists attempted to deliver the civil society statement and foam spine to the DC embassy officials, although they only made it through the first set of doors before being locked out. They knocked and chanted repeatedly, but were not allowed any further into the embassy. They read the civil society statement aloud in front of the building to the group and media and left the spine and their signs hanging on the front entrance.

Press at the two events included:

Brazilian Globo TV; Folha de Sao Paulo; O Globo newspaper and others.

CNN en Español and two American media outlets, including a Reuters photographer.

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