THE NAKED TRUTH: EMPEROR BUSH HAS NO CLOTHES

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IN FIRST RNC PROTEST, AIDS ACTIVISTS BARE ALL TO SHOW LACK OF COMPASSION IN BUSH AIDS PROGRAMS; URGE BUSH TO JOIN OTHER G-7 NATIONS TO CANCEL 100% OF POOR NATIONS' DEBTS TO FIGHT AIDS

(New York) - A group of AIDS activists led by members of ACT UP New York told the naked truth about the harmful impact of the Bush Administration's AIDS policies today. During a demonstration on the eve of the Republic National Convention (RNC), naked AIDS activists wearing nothing but the words "Bush, Stop AIDS, Drop the Debt Now" painted on their backs locked arms, chanting and entering the street surrounded by massive banners. The activists criticized Bush's refusal to support 100% debt cancellation to fund the fight against AIDS in 50 of the world's poorest countries, and his refusal to pay the U.S.'s fair share to multilateral, evidence-based AIDS interventions such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Bush's record on AIDS is expected to figure prominently during an RNC targeting moderate swing voters in battleground states.

"When it comes to fighting the AIDS crisis, Emperor Bush has no clothes," said Amanda Lugg of ACT UP. "Bush will come to New York and continue his empty posturing about his failed AIDS programs. The U.S. response to the pandemic has been inadequate. Compassion demands real action, not empty rhetoric."

At their most recent summit in June, the G-7 leaders discussed a proposal for 100% cancellation of debts owed by some poor countries to the IMF and World Bank; President Bush refused to support the proposal. On October 1 the G-7 Finance Ministers, including U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow, will meet to decide whether or not to move forward with the proposal. The proposal will not advance if President Bush objects, activists say.

The world's poorest nations spend billions repaying debts to international financial institutions and donors-money that is urgently needed for life saving AIDS treatment and prevention programs. African countries alone spend $15 billion each year on debt repayment. One-third of the world's 40 million people living with HIV live in a heavily debt-burdened country.
"This Administration has the opportunity to join with other G7 countries and call for 100% debt forgiveness for 50 of the world's poorest countries during the RNC, freeing up billions to fund the fight against AIDS," said Mark Milano of ACT UP New York. "8500 people die every day with AIDS because countries are too poor to pay for life saving treatment. 5 million people were infected with HIV in 2003 alone. President Bush could make debt cancellation a reality-but he is choosing not to."

The activists are also demanding that the U.S. live up to its commitments to the Global Fund; Bush is lobbying for a 64% cut in US contributions to the Global Fund in FY2005. The Global Fund is unable to launch a new funding round, and renewal of existing grants is jeopardized, in large part because of U.S. stinginess. "This Administration has demonstrated its disdain for multilateral cooperation on most foreign policy issues. Bush's short-changing of the Global Fund in favor of the bilateral President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is a key example," said Kaytee Riek of ACT UP.

A recent report by the Government Accounting Office found that domestic policies are a major obstacle to U.S. efforts to scaling up access to treatment through PEPFAR. These policies include the Bush Administration's obstruction of the procurement of cheap generic medicines and the subordination of evidence based approaches to HIV prevention to ideologically driven, unproven prevention programs.

Update: All protestors released by noon Friday

For more information on these issues go to

www.actupny.org and www.healthgap

New York Times Coverage

New York Daily News (Nudes)

New York Newsday