A case of immunization privileges that arouses national anger.

Thousands of people demonstrated in Argentina on Saturday February 27 to denounce the "VIP vaccinations" from which dozens of personalities in the country have benefited.

Waving blue and white flags, protesters gathered outside the government headquarters in Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires, as well as in several other cities.

"Give me back my vaccine", "Let them all go", "Stop wasting our money," their placards read.

The scandal erupted last week when a journalist said on the radio that he had been vaccinated thanks to his friendship with the Minister of Health, Ginés Gonzalez Garcia, who had to resign in the wake at the request of President Alberto Fernandez.

On Monday, the government released a list of 70 people who received the vaccine outside of the official campaign launched in late December, which included the 38-year-old Minister of the Economy and former President Eduardo Duhalde, his wife and their children.

"They started by vaccinating the friends of power," Irene Marcet, who demonstrated in Plaza de Mayo, told AFP.

"They are stealing someone else's life."

On the railings in front of Casa Rosada, the executive seat of Argentine power in Buenos Aires, protesters hung huge black body bags with the names of pro-government leaders vaccinated.

The president condemned these acts.

"This regrettable action only shows how many opponents see the Republic. Let us not remain silent in the face of such a barbaric act", he reacted on Twitter.

52,000 deaths due to Covid-19

The demonstrations took place without incident, except for some friction between opponents and union activists in front of the president's official residence in Buenos Aires.

Argentina, with a population of 44 million people, has already recorded more than two million cases and nearly 52,000 deaths from the coronavirus.

One million people have already been vaccinated, according to the government.

Argentina has received 1.22 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, around 580,000 doses from Covishield, the Indian Serum Institute, and 904,000 vaccines from the Chinese laboratory Sinopharm.

With AFP

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