By R. Viswanathan
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – (Opinion) Latin America is the worst Covid-19-affected region in the world. All its countries need vaccines desperately. Their need is now being met mostly by Chinese, Russian and Indian vaccines.
Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and Venezuela have authorized/implemented use of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, while others including Colombia are considering doing so. Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Peru have all acquired Chinese vaccines.
India has already supplied/committed to supply vaccines to Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Bolivia, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic. More countries might be added to this list.
The most obvious missing names are the U.S. and European countries. They are concerned only with their own citizens. They are not only inward-looking but even squabbling among themselves (EU vs UK ) about sharing of vaccines.
They have not shown any solidarity or intent to help Latin America. Moreover, the western countries have overbought the vaccines beyond their requirements thereby reducing availability of supplies to developing countries.
Of course, the American Pfizer was one of the earliest to roll out its vaccine. Unsurprisingly, its vaccine is more expensive. It costs US$19.50 per dose as against around US$10 for Russian and Chinese vaccines while the Indian ones will be less than ten dollars. The Pfizer vaccine also poses logistical challenges since it needs to be stored at ultra-freezing temperatures of -45 Fahrenheit (-70 Celsius).
Apart from price and logistics, Latin American governments find negotiations with Pfizer more difficult than with Moscow, Beijing and New Delhi. Pfizer puts some difficult-to-accept liability conditions in its contracts, which provoked even pro-Trump Bolsonaro. The Latin Americans will not forget those who helped them and those failed them at this historic crisis time.
Colombian President Ivan Duque’s party members had earlier joined the American chorus of condemnation of Putin on violations of democracy and human rights. But it did not stop the pro-US Colombian government from ordering Russian vaccines.
The US trashes the Chinese economic presence in Latin America and warns about Russian designs in the region. But Washington has nothing to say about the Chinese and Russian vaccines which help the region.
The US keeps lecturing and forcing Latin America to divert its scarce resources to the so-called war on drugs. But there is no word from the United States on the vaccine for Latin America.
President Bolsonaro wrote a desperate letter to Indian Prime Minister Modi for urgent supply of vaccines. On receiving prompt supply, he thanked India profusely.
No Latin American President wrote to the US President or any European head of government asking for vaccines, because they know there would be no response.