03/17/2021 15:00
Clarín.com
World
Updated 03/17/2021 3:00 PM
Opposition deputies filed a complaint against the government of Mario Abdo Benítez, who allegedly made a money transfer to the wrong account, which delayed the shipment to the country of vaccines against Covid-19 from the
Covax
mechanism
of the World Health Organization , the United Nations and other foundations that serve the poorest countries.
The error only increases social tension and discontent towards the government, highly criticized for the
mismanagement
of the pandemic, which led to a series of protests and the departure of four ministers, including Health.
The deputies' complaint, who are asking for the impeachment of Abdo Benítez and his vice, Hugo Velázquez, indicates that the Health portfolio
headed by
the resigned Julio Mazzoleni transferred
$ 6,850,615
to The Vaccine Alliance GAVI (Alliance for vaccines, Bill Gates Foundation), equivalent to 4,279,800 doses.
PAHO / WHO informed Paraguay that the money should be transferred to its account and not to the GAVI Foundation, so the steps were started to recover it and make the payment correctly.
Twice the same mistake
The document states that
the mistake was made a
second time: when the PAHO / WHO representative in Paraguay Roberto Escoto indicated that another deposit of $ 2,800,000 had to be made to start deliveries, the money was returned to send to GAVI account.
However, the amount sent was
much less.
Demonstrators protest in the National Congress in Asunción against the Government of Mario Abdo Benítez.
Photo: EFE
The deputies cite the Vice Minister of Health, Julio Rolón, who "on March 11 told Radio Monumental that the government refused to forward the $ 2,800,000 badly transferred to PAHO / WHO and only deposited $ 144,000 for 36,000 doses, which they are part of the first batch of 304,000 doses ", whose delivery is promised before May.
The legislators expressed that this situation, in addition to contributing to an
inexplicable delay
in the process of buying the serums and the start of the vaccination campaign,
makes
the country "ridiculous",
since it involves "inadmissible errors by irresponsible officials. and inexperienced ".
In the first days of March, thousands of Paraguayans came out to protest against the lack of clinical supplies and vaccines to face the pandemic.
On the night of March 5, the protests were
violently repressed
by the security forces.
Mario Abdo Benítez.
Photo: dpa
Pressured by the situation, the following day Abdo Benitez announced changes in the ministries of Women, the Civil Cabinet and Education "in the interests of pacification."
Before the head of Health had resigned.
On the same day, the Minister of Communications, Juan María Brunetti, had assured that the president heard "the message" of the demonstrations.
However, the protests ask for more than these changes in the Cabinet: the clamor that was heard in the streets of Asunción, the capital, was
for the entire government to resign
, including President Benítez and Vice President Hugo Velásquez.
The Minister of Health, Julio Borba, replied to the accusations stating that the money was returned to the health portfolio because there was a change in the administrative process of the COVAX mechanism for the acquisition of vaccines through another agency, which is why they had to be reversed paid operations, therefore, there were no "errors".
"The payment was made to GAVI, but there was a change indicating that the payments had to be made through the revolving fund," he said, in publications published by the local press.
"I am in permanent contact with Mr. Escoto almost on a daily basis. Last Monday I had my first meeting with him to ask him what the alternatives are and what the drawbacks are, he promised to give as much speed as possible," he said.
"Wanted".
Demonstrators protest against the government in Asunción.
Photo: EFE
"On Friday I had a virtual meeting with the Director General of PAHO, where I asked her to see how to
speed up the processes.
We are going to receive the first game this week, I already have a confirmation of the estimated date and the next week we will be receiving another game, "he added.
Pope Francis expressed concern about the events that occurred in Paraguay and took the opportunity to highlight the fact that "violence is always self-destructive."
The political situation does not seem to have a solution in the short term.
Neither does the provision of vaccines, since this Wednesday Taiwan
denied
that it had decided to cede two million of its quota of AstraZeneca vaccines to Paraguay.
ANSA
ap
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