Peruvian officials, Vatican diplomat secretly obtained COVID-19 vaccines meant for doctors
Market merchants in Lima wait to take COVID-19 tests sponsored by the government. Photo via City of Lima.
LIMA— The Vatican’s diplomatic representative in Lima, Peru secretly obtained a Chinese COVID-19 vaccine, along with high-ranking Peruvian officials, meant for doctors and researchers working on a clinical trial.
The political scandal, dubbed “vacunagate” and “vacunaVIP” in the Peruvian press, began with leaked reports that the former president Martín Vizcarra, his wife and other officials and family members had secretly been vaccinated with China’s Sinopharm vaccine while negotiating with several laboratories.
Among those vaccinated is the Italian priest Nicola Girasoli, the apostolic nuncio or diplomat in Lima. Girasoli was No. 360 on a reserved list of 487 people who received the vaccine, according to leaked records. The vaccines were meant for doctors and researchers.
"We are saddened and outraged," said the Archbishop of Lima, Carlos Castillo Mattasoglio, upon learning that Girasoli was one of those secretly vaccinated. "He has been vaccinated for reasons that he has to explain, it seems to me that his explanation so far is not enough. I have told him that this is serious and that these signs of privilege are the things that people criticize about the church.”
The Peruvian Episcopal Conference, which groups together the country's bishops, issued a statement saying:
“Peru is once again hit by the reprehensible behavior of some authorities who have benefited selfishly, putting aside the interests of the country, the common good and the interests of those most in need… This shows the face of the monster of corruption and the ethical and values crisis... while an insensitive group seeks its own interest."
Girasoli announced in a letter addressed to the bishops, clergy, religious, laity and "people of God" that he acknowledges having received the vaccine under the title of a "consultant." The Vatican diplomat points out that Cayetano Heredia University, in charge of the vaccine trial and administration, confirms his version. For the priest, this statement from the university "clears any possible damage to credibility that the church and its pastors must always show."
Luciano Revoredo, director of the influential conservative Catholic website La Abeja, points out that:
“The nuncio is a diplomat in Peru and in practice he can’t assume the functions of an adviser or consultant. The situation has become unmanageable and what will have to happen shortly is for the Holy See to withdraw Nuncio Girasoli from Peru and thus prevent the incident from continuing to grow and end up staining the church."
The Vacunagate case hits Peru’s current transitional government chaired by Congressman Francisco Sagasti since Nov. 16, which arose as a result of the vacancy of former President Martín Vizcarra and the resignation of Congressman Manuel Merino de Lama who only lasted five days in the presidency. Vizcarra was also vaccinated when he was president, as well as his wife, brother and other family members, while he carried out negotiations to acquire the vaccines for the 31 million Peruvians waiting for them. Currently Vizcarra is running for a seat in Congress in the elections to be held on April 14 of this year.
The ministers of both Health and Foreign Affairs resigned from their positions after the public outcry that they had secretly obtained vaccines.
The anti-corruption authorities will evaluate whether the officials can be detained under charges of "incompatible negotiation."
According to the ombudsman Walter Gutiérrez the state's management in the face of the pandemic has been “appalling” and the vaccination of officials on the list leaked to the press is illegal.
Reynaldo Aragon is a former CNN en español anchor in Peru and is a correspondent for Religion Unplugged. He sits on the board of The Media Project and is based in Lima.