Latin American governments find negotiations with Pfizer more difficult

Latin American governments find negotiations with Pfizer more difficult

Latin American governments find negotiations with Pfizer more difficult

Latin America is the worst corona virus affected region in the world. They need vaccines desperately. Their need is met mostly by the Chinese, Russian and Indian vaccines.

Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Venezuela have authorized/implemented use of the Sputnik V vaccine. Others including Colombia are considering authorization of the Russian vaccine. Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Peru, among other countries, have acquired Chinese vaccines.

India has already supplied/committed to supply to Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Bolivia, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Dominican Republic. More countries might be added to this list. The most obvious missing names are US and Europe. They are concerned only with their own citizens. They are not only inward looking but even squabbling among themselves ( EU vs UK ) about share of vaccines. They have not shown any solidarity or intention to help Latin America. Moreover, the western countries have overbought the vaccines beyond their requirements thereby reducing availability of supplies to developing countries.

Of course, the American Pfizer was one of the earliest to roll out its vaccine. But unsurprisingly, their vaccine is more expensive. It costs 19.50 dollars per dose as against around 10 dollars of Russian and Chinese vaccines while the Indian ones will be less than ten dollars. The Pfizer vaccine poses logistical challenges since it needs to be stored at ultra-freezing temperatures of 35 to 45 degree F.

Apart from price and logistics, the Latin American governments find negotiations with Pfizer more difficult than with Moscow, Beijing and New Delhi. Pfizer puts some difficult- to- accept liability conditions which even provoked even the pro-US Bolsonaro. The Latin Americans will not forget those who helped them and those failed them at this historic crisis time.

Colombian President Ivan Duque's party members had earlier joined the American chorus of condemnation of Putin on violations of democracy and human rights. But it did not stop the pro-US Colombian government from ordering Russian vaccines.

The US trashes the Chinese economic presence in Latin America and warns about Russian designs in the region. But Washington DC has nothing to say about the Chinese and Russian vaccines which help the region.

The US keeps lecturing and forcing Latin America to divert its scarce resources to the so called war on drugs. But there is no word from US on the vaccine for Latin America.

President Bolsonaro wrote a desperate letter to Prime Minister Modi for urgent supply of vaccines. On receiving prompt supply, he thanked India profusely. No Latin American President wrote to the US President or any European head of government for vaccines.