Secretary General of LATO participates in a discussion about the protests in Russia and Brazil in the broadcast “Two Hemispheres”
Since last weekend, there has been growing fear that the European Union will not be able to implement the commitment previously declared to vaccinate 70% of the Union‘s adult population against Covid–19% by summer. The reason is the announcements by two large vaccine makers about planned supply delays – Pfizer announced it would cut supplies in the coming weeks due to a factory overhaul in Belgium, which will then allow for a rapid increase in vaccine production.
The protests, which took place in 196 Russian cities on Saturday, had about 110 000 participants, while the initiator of the action – the Corruption Fund – estimated this number to be between 250 000 and 300 000. In any case, these are the broadest protests ever since 2017, when Russian citizens took to the streets in protest of corrupt power and embezzlement. Meanwhile, last weekend, protests were also witnessed in Brazil, where demonstrators took to the streets in their cars, honing and waving posters “Bolsunaru – go away!”, “Impeachment!” and “Vaccination for all!”. The dissatisfaction of Brazilians has been caused by President Zaira Bolsunar‘s administration‘s actions in the pandemic situation – a very late launch of the vaccination programme and the cessation of the financial support programme for the economic victims of the pandemic by December.
In the broadcast “Two hemispheres” these topics were addressed by the Secretary General of LATO, Professor of the University of Latvia, Sigita Struberga, Jānis Bērziņš, Director of the Latvian National Defence Academy Security and Strategic Research Centre, and the special correspondent of “Novaja Gazeta” newspaper Irina Tumakova.
Listen to the discussion here: https://lr1.lsm.lv/lv/raksts/divas-puslodes/protesti-krievija-un-brazilija.-neskaidribas-ar-covid-19-vakcinu.a139497/