Peruvian Foreign Minister Elizabeth Astett announced her resignation on Sunday after admitting to being vaccinated against COVID-19 in January, ahead of priority residents.
Also read: All epidemic developments
She is the second minister in the Peruvian government, after the Ministry of Health, to resign in the context of this scandal.
M. I have submitted to the President of the Republic my letter of resignation from my position as Minister of Foreign Affairs.I am On Twitter, Astete admitted to making a “huge mistake” of having him vaccinated on January 22.
Interim President Francesco Sagasti immediately accepted his resignation, saying in a televised statement that he was “angry and angry at this situation, which is putting the efforts of many Peruvians at risk.”
The scandal erupted on Thursday after a Peruvian daily revealed that former President Martin Vizcarra (2018-2020) had been vaccinated against COVID-19 in October, just weeks before he was questioned by Parliament.
The former head of state, who is running for a parliamentary seat in the April 11 elections, defended himself by saying that he volunteered for the clinical trial of the Sinopharm vaccine, like thousands of other Peruvians. What the university responsible for the trial denied.
The revelation sparked an uproar that led to the resignation of Health Minister Pilar Mazzetti on Friday. According to Peruvian media, the public prosecutor has opened a preliminary investigation.
Unlike other countries, whose presidents, ministers or officials have been vaccinated to set an example, in Peru, criticism is directed at members of the government who received the vaccine with all due appreciation and even before the launch of the official vaccination campaign.
‘Personal benefit’
“In the midst of a crisis it is not possible for a person to use public office for personal gain,” said Congress President Murtha Vasquez, who called for an investigation and sanctions.
According to the Peruvian media, many officials and officials may have been vaccinated early, as Sinopharm, in addition to the planned doses for the clinical trial, provided an additional 2,000 doses to the employees in charge of the trial and members of the Peruvian government.
This speculation prompted many political figures on Sunday to publicly deny that she had been vaccinated.
The vaccination campaign started Tuesday in Peru and is currently intended for health workers.
President Sagasti, 76, received a public injection on Tuesday, and on that occasion encouraged Peruvians to get vaccinated.
However, there is still no vaccination schedule for the general population, as Peru has so far received only one million doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine.
According to the latest figures, Peru recorded 43,703 deaths from COVID-19, compared to 1.23 million confirmed cases.
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