Analysts doubt the objectivity of Consuelo Porras’ MP – Publinews – 2024-04-05 16:01:48

The government of President Bernardo Arévalo filed a criminal complaint for alleged anomalies in the acquisition of 8 million Sputnik V vaccines against Covid-19, from Russia, during the administration of Alejandro Giammattei. The main one named is the former Minister of Health Amelia Flores. Analysts doubt the objectivity of the Public Ministry in this case.

In the complaint, the Presidency points out the alleged illegality of signing a contract with an entity that did not produce vaccines and the lack of corroboration of who signed for LLC Human Vaccin. Furthermore, the document was signed in English without a simultaneous Spanish version; the lack of favorable conditions for the delivery of the doses, coupled with the fact that the Ministry of Health accepted all the producer’s conditions.

Other alleged anomalies would be linked to the royalties that the State of Guatemala had to pay to the producer, the acceptance of sanctions for breach of contract harmful to the country, since Guatemala could only demand a maximum compensation of US$100 thousand, despite the fact that the acquisition It was for Q614 million (US$78.8 million).

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The Executive added that the legal precepts were not respected when submitting the contract to arbitration, confidentiality was not justified, it is not clear in which country the counterparty to the contract was signed and, finally, that the State accepted a vaccine not certified by organizations. international.

Will the MP investigate?

After the complaint filed by the Arévalo government for signing the contract for the purchase of the Sputnik V vaccines, analysts consulted by Publinews regretted that possible anomalies in the acquisition would have influenced the quality of care for Guatemalans.

Furthermore, they see it as unlikely that the Public Ministry (MP), led by prosecutor María Consuelo Porras, will carry out an objective investigation.

Byron Barrera, consultant and political analyst, indicated that, considering the MP’s “complacent” attitude in the face of the numerous reported cases of corruption that would link the previous government, it is “very doubtful” that an investigation into vaccine fraud will prosper.

“Just as the MP has been interested in political persecution and attacks on freedom of expression, it should be rigorous in prosecuting corruption crimes from the past government. The political bias of the MP is notorious. However, the complaint about vaccines is appropriate. “One more case that tests the impartiality of the criminal investigation carried out by that entity,” he added.

While Manfredo Marroquín, founder of Acción Ciudadana, recalled that the entity to which he belonged denounced possible anomalies at the time and the MP did not present results of the allegations.

“This contract, in addition to being harmful to the interests of the State, caused many deaths given the delay in the delivery of the vaccines, leaving the population practically unprotected. “Guatemala was the country with the lowest vaccination coverage in all of Latin America,” he pointed out.

Arévalo is pronounced

The Attorney General’s Office (PGN) and the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (MSPAS) presented the complaint to the Auxiliary Services Center of the Administration of Criminal Justice in the Court Tower.

Afterwards, the president, Bernardo Arévalo, the Minister of Health, Óscar Cordón, the Attorney General of the Nation, Julio Saavedra, and the director of the National Commission against Corruption, Santiago Palomo, offered a press conference to address details of the complaint.

“Today we see it in this case that is tragic, due to the scope of the corruption and the scope of the damage it causes to the Guatemalan population. Those who committed these acts have not only demonstrated their lack of commitment to public office, but have shown that they are willing to affect the life, health and well-being of their compatriots,” said President Arévalo.

“In difficult and bitter moments like the Covid-19 pandemic, when the entire Guatemalan society was under the siege of a terrible disease that we did not know and that we did not understand, the corrupt in Guatemala saw the opportunity to benefit with impunity, to benefit at the expense of the health of the population, of benefiting at the cost of human lives,” Arévalo added.