Support The Moscow Times!

Guatemala Seeks Refund from Russia Over Delayed Vaccine Doses – Reports

The Latin American country has only received 150,000 doses out of the 8 million it purchased from Russia. Hassene Dridi / AP / TASS

Guatemala has asked Russia for a refund over its failure to deliver doses of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine on time, Reuters reported Tuesday amid widespread reports of shortages across Latin America.

Guatemala was the world’s 37th country and Latin America’s third to approve Sputnik V earlier this year. It was said to have paid $80 million for 8 million doses but has so far only received 150,000 in three months as Covid-19 cases peaked there.

Guatemalan Health Minister Amelia Flores said the country has given the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which markets Sputnik V globally, 20 days to deliver the promised doses. 

RDIF’s director of special projects Gleb Bryansky told Reuters that additional doses would reach Guatemala over the next week.

Another plane with Sputnik V is scheduled to arrive in Guatemala this week, with the next one coming already early next week to keep fulfilling obligations regarding the contract,” he said.

Russia has delivered a fraction of its 896 million promised Covid-19 vaccine doses to other countries.

Earlier in June, media reported that Argentina and Mexico were facing shortages of second doses of Sputnik V.

“The absolute priority is domestic consumption, vaccination of Russians. Satisfying the demand abroad is currently not possible; all obligations will be fulfilled later,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked about those shortages.

Several Russian regions have also reported vaccine shortages in recent days as demand picked up after authorities rolled out mandatory vaccination programs to kick-start the flagging domestic campaign.

Tepid demand at home had until recently allowed Russia to export extra batches of its flagship Sputnik V vaccine. But the uptick in domestic demand raised questions over Russia’s ability to vaccinate its own population and also fulfill its existing pledge to supply around 70 countries.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more