Nicolás Maduro’s dictatorship ratified the AstraZeneca vaccine ban after unblocking its shipment to the country via COVAX

The regime of Nicolás Maduro ratified this Wednesday that will not allow the entry into the country of AstraZeneca vaccines, the arrival of which was managed by the opposition leader Juan Guaidó via the COVAX mechanism of the World Health Organization (WHO), one day after the negotiations for his arrival are unblocked.

Delcy Rodríguez, vice president of Maduro, insisted during a conference in Miraflores Palace that “on March 15, we met with representatives of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). where we inform that Venezuela has not approved the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine ”. “We don’t need documents”, he expressed, according to the portal AlbertoNews. A few days earlier, he had justified the decision to reject the admission of inoculants on the basis of the alleged “effects it has on patients”.

Le Chavista also indicated that the public prosecutor would “thoroughly” investigate Guaidó for these efforts. “Guaidó should be accused of assassinations, terrorism, corruption, theft, promoting sanctions and blockades,” he said.

His statements come a day after Ciro Ugarte, director of PAHO’s Department of Health Emergencies, was highlighted at a press conference. The unblocking of negotiations to obtain AstraZeneca vaccines after the Guaidó government approved the first installment of $ 18 million, as indicated by the agency AFP.

Last February, Paolo Balladelli, representative of PAHO [dependiente de la OMS] in Venezuela, he said that The country had booked through the COVAX system between 1.4 million and 2.4 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19 and that they would arrive at the end of this month.

Although at this time it was noted that Venezuela ran the risk of losing the reserve if it did not pay an advance of $ 18 million, Since Maduro’s regime does not have access to the country’s financial reserves abroad, control of which is held by Guaidó, recognized since 2019 as the only legitimate authority by the United States and some fifty countries.

In this context, on Friday, the National Assembly chaired by Guaidó approved an agreement to “complete all procedures” with the US Department of the Treasury to release the necessary funds: $ 18 million for vaccines and an additional $ 12 million for the infrastructure that allows their distribution.

The regime, for its part, which said invested $ 200 million to acquire 10 million doses of Russian vaccine Sputnik V, assured that due to US sanctions and other processes that keep funds frozen at the Bank of England, upfront payments to access COVAX had not been covered.

The stranded funds were approved in a virtual session of the elected parliament in 2015, which Guaidó defends as legitimate, despite Chavismo claiming control of the legislature in January 2021 after elections boycotted by major opposition parties and unknown to the United States, the European Union and several Latin American countries.

The agreement authorizes “President Juan Guaidó to request a debt from the Central Bank of Venezuela in the amount of $ 30,309,040.00, intended to pay for access to the Covax platform ($ 18,199,040.00 ), and for the investment in the cold chain necessary for the vaccination plan against covid-19 (12,110,000.00 dollars) ”.

Washington, in its pressure against dictator Nicolás Maduro with financial sanctions, gave Guaidó control of Venezuela’s accounts and assets in the United States.

“This is the best opportunity we have so far to be able to stop the virus“Said the Leader of the Opposition during the session broadcast by YouTube. “We will do everything we can to introduce this vaccine efficiently and quickly.”

“The politicization that the dictatorship intends to give to administer the vaccine must be put aside, they cannot continue to discriminate and generate social control through the aid necessary for Venezuelans”Said Guaidó.

For now, and following the announcement of the ban on vaccines manufactured by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, It is not known which other COVAX system vaccines the regimen may have access to.

COVAX is a system designed to ensure that developing countries have rapid access to coronavirus vaccines.

With information from AFP

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