Link to Article: “Argentina’s president decries ‘unforgivable’ vaccine scandal”
Recently, Argentina’s Health Minister, Gines Gonzales Garcia, has resigned after he was accused of giving certain citizens special treatment regarding COVID-19 vaccinations, letting people skip the wait. The president condemned this scandal, saying, “Gines was a great minister, and on top of that, I like him. But what he did was unforgivable.” In addition, he requested the resignation of the health minister, who obliged. Garcia’s role has now been replaced by Carla Vizzotti, the new health minister for Argentina. Thus far, Vizzotti has made progress in acquiring Sputnik V vaccines for the country, as well as implementing policies that will prevent any unfair treatment regarding COVID-19 vaccinations in the future.
The scandal is similar to one that occurred in Peru, with Peruvian officials receiving the vaccines outside of clinical health trials before the national vaccination program was rolled out. Argentina already has a short stock of vaccines, so this sandal likely raises concerns for access to the vaccines, as well as an increase in the pre-existing corruption in the region. The country’s high numbers of covid cases and deaths make this scandal one that shouldn’t be taken lightly, and government officials should be held responsible for their actions. This may leave a lasting impact on Argentina’s citizens, lowering their trust in their government.
Argentina, formally known as the Argentine Republic, operates under a presidential democratic republic, with President Alberto Fernandez acting as both Head of State and head of Govornment. The government has different sects set up, with leaders in each. In this case, the scandal mainly revolves around the national health department. The scandal does not bode well for Argentina’s representation on the regional and global level, as the increasingly relevant and powerful country isn’t overlooked as much as smaller countries anymore.