on Sunday night accepted the resignation of Elizabeth Astete as Minister of Foreign Affairs, noting that this decision will not affect the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines from international laboratories.
Via Twitter, the Head of State indicated that —due to the disclosure about the vaccination of some senior public officials with additional doses of the coronavirus vaccine from the Chinese laboratory Sinopharm— the Health Minister has ordered a summary investigation to clarify these facts.
"On Saturday,
Health Minister Oscar Ugarte received the resignation of Deputy Public Health Minister Luis Suarez, which he accepted. Tonight, I received the resignation letter of Foreign Affairs Minister Elizabeth Astete, which I have accepted," the statesman pointed out.
"I can assure you that this decision will not affect the arrival of the compromised vaccines or the ongoing negotiations to guarantee vaccines for all Peruvians, for which our Government will continue to work tirelessly," he added.
According to the Peruvian leader, all the agreements for clinical trials of the vaccines in Peru were made before the current Transition and Emergency Government —which he presides— took office.
In this regard, he said, the allocation of 2,000 additional doses to the research team and trial-related personnel at any time was not a matter for decision by the current Government.
"With the transparency and firmness that characterizes our Government, we will publish the results of the summary investigation and the information provided by Cayetano Heredia University's Center for Clinical Studies when it is in our power," he remarked.
(END) JCR/RMB