Venezuela gives ultimatum to COVAX, President says 'send us vaccines or give money back'

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on July 4 said that the COVAX system, WHO’s worldwide initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccine, will be given an ultimatum in a bid to provide the country’s portion of coronavirus vaccines. Venezuelan officials had been directed to give the COVAX system an ultimatum as the Caribbean country has made all outstanding payments to the global-vaccine sharing plan. While speaking in a live interview on state television, Maduro said that COVAX system has “failed” Venezuela and added that they either deliver the vaccines to the country or give the money back. 

Venezuelan officials had been directed to "give the COVAX system an ultimatum: they give us the vaccines or they give us the money back, period," Maduro said. 

He added, “The COVAX system has failed Venezuela. They don’t answer us”. 

Venezuelan officials for months had said that sanctions were hampering their ability to make bank transfers necessary to pay for COVAX doses. In April officials said they had made the payments to the entity, run by the World Health Organization, which provides doses to poor nations. However, in June Venezuela had received word from COVAX that the last four payments had been blocked by UBS. But on Sunday, President Maduro said that the payments to cover the $120 million fees have already been made and yet he hasn’t heard from COVAX. 

Venezuela’s vaccine campaign 

So far, Venezuela, a nation of 28 million people, has reportedly received about 3.5 million Russian and Chinese vaccines since February. The country launched a vaccination campaign in February, focusing on the health, law enforcement and education sectors. In May, the Caribbean country then broadened the effort to include anybody aged 60 and up. 

It is worth noting that last month, Maduro even lashed out against the US for not including Venezuela in a group of countries that will be given donated COVID-19 vaccines. "Joe Biden's government is going to donate vaccines to the world but that they are not going to donate vaccines to Venezuela," said Maduro during a televised event. "They have a hatred for us, low, miserable feelings". Maduro's government broke off relations with the US in 2019, arguing that Washington was pushing plans to destabilize his government and force his overthrow.

(Image: Unsplash/AP)