Pope Francis urged temporary suspension of coronavirus vaccine patents

Pope Francis calls for temporary suspension of intellectual property rights for coronavirus vaccines, in a video message that will be broadcast this Saturday during the campaign in Los Angeles (United States) “Vax Live” to raise funds for the distribution of vaccines around the world.

In his message, the Pope supported the recent position of the President of the United States, Joe Biden, calling for “a spirit of justice which mobilizes us to guarantee universal access to the vaccine and the temporary suspension of intellectual property rights” and “a spirit of communion which allows us generate a different, more inclusive, fair and sustainable economic model“.

Francisco denounced, reading in Spanish, that “a variant of this virus is closed nationalism, which prevents, for example, an internationalism of vaccines “and that” another variant is when we put the laws of the market or intellectual property above the laws of the love and health of mankind“.

“Another variation is when we create and maintain a sick economy, which allows a very rich few to own more than all the rest of humanity, and models of production and consumption to destroy the planet, our common home, ”he continued.

The Pope introduced himself in this message, which will be broadcast during the concert as an “old man, who does not dance or sing like you, but who believes with you that injustice and evil are not invincible“.

“The coronavirus has produced death and suffering, affecting the lives of everyone, especially the most vulnerable. I beg you not to forget the most vulnerable. Remember the limit. In addition, the pandemic has contributed to exacerbating existing social and environmental crises, as you young people always remind us. And they do well to remember that, ”he said.

He stressed that “in the face of so much darkness and uncertainty, we need light and hope” and that healing “cannot be limited to symptoms” since in “the sick roots we find the individualism virus, which does not make us freer or more equal or more brothers, but it rather makes us indifferent to the suffering of others “

He also recalled one of the phrases he repeated throughout the pandemic: “Remember, we don’t come out of a crisis the same, or we come out better or worse” and he explained that “the problem is having the inventiveness necessary to find better ways”.

Francisco said goodbye thanking the organizers for their efforts for their work.

During the concert of the Vax Live campaign, organized by the NGO Global citizen, and which will be presented by the American singer Selena Gomez, in addition to the Pope, dozens of personalities will join, including Biden and his wife Jill, dukes of sussex, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, among others. In addition, it will also feature musical performances from stars such as Jennifer López, Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, ELLE or J. Balvin.

The show will air on TV and YouTube this Saturday, May 8, having been taped Sunday before. thousands of spectators vaccinated in a large stadium in California.

Global Citizen, is a Californian NGO with partners such as the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the World Health Organization (WHO) and large companies around the world.

(With information from EFE)

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