of sciences physics mathematics and nature of venezuela a caracasbased institution said mathematical models based on the first six weeks of infections forecast a big surge in new cases in the coming monthsthe country must prepare for the peak of the epidemic as has happened in other latin american countries said the academys president mireya goldwasserthat report drew a threat from diosdado cabello the socialist party leader who is venezuelas second most powerful official after maduro cabello called the scientists politically motivated on his weekly tv show and accused them of generating alarmthis is an invitation for state security agencies to come calling on these people cabello said theyre saying the government liedskeptical venezuelans distrust the governments claims that so few coronavirus cases exist given its history of hiding basic figures still no obvious signs indicate the coronavirus has spun out of controlmaduros government took quick action after the first cases were diagnosed march 13 which is credited for the low numbers so far he ordered one of the regions first nationwide lockdownshealth workers go housetohouse screening people in poor hillside barrios tracing cases to stomp out its spread experts and residents saymaduro and his deputies appear on state tv nightly to provide an update of each new case the president also announces each new aid shipment of medical supplies from allied nations as well as the promise of 1 million test kits from chinathe government says it has done over 865000 coronavirus tests but the majority are less reliable rapid tests raising the possibility that people are mistakenly found healthy when they are infected and could spread the virusaside from face masks there is little outward sign of concern about the coronavirus on the crowded streets of catia a poor neighborhood of venezuelas capital vendors push carts of potatoes and onions or stand shoulder to shoulder hawking bags of rice and cornmeal