Paraguay signed a contract with the Russian Direct Investment Fund so Paraguay can have access to the Russian developed Sputnik V vaccine. Argentina will also be using this vaccine. The Lancet international medical journal reports that the Russian vaccine is nearly 92% effective. The Paraguayan Health Minister Julio Mazzoleni said at a press conference, “We are awaiting the return of the contracts that have already been signed in order to make that announcement.” The health ministry has confirmed 2,765 deaths associated with COVID-19 as of Wednesday. President Mario Abdo said that another 300,000 AstraZeneca vaccines will also be delivered as a part of the World Health Organization’s COVAX program in the second half of February.
My take is that I’m not sure if Paraguay should be trusting the vaccine out of Russia. It is also interesting to me why Paraguay has turned to Russia for their vaccine doses instead of the United States. To get it from Russia, it would need to be shipped overseas, whereas the United States is much closer to Paraguay. I also think that it is interesting to note that now both the Chinese and the Russians have started to get closer with Central America and South America, awfully close to the United States border. It makes me think that they are trying to become better allies with them than the United States, which leaves a slim possibility of another Cuban Missile Crisis on our hands.
To connect this with class, we discussed the geopolitical considerations a country needs to take whenever they engage with another country, like if the location offers lucrative economic opportunity or if the location helps exert influence over a region or their rivals. In this case, I believe it to be both of those considerations, that Paraguay is an untapped resource vain that has yet to have been discovered. Historically, we have never known Russia to act because a country is in need of assistance. Paraguay must have something that Russia wants, whether it be influence in South America or some natural resource.