South America

BOGOTA, May 2. /TASS/: Colombian President Ivan Duque has ordered to bring troops to those cities where protest rallies against tax reform accompanied by vandalism and public order violations continue.

"The factor of military presence will be in effect in those cities where a great risk for lives of citizens exists," he said in a video address published on his administration’s Twitter page on Saturday.

The president stressed that the servicemen "are trained to work in urban conditions and will provide support to police."

SAO PAULO, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Brazil began the month of May reporting 2,656 deaths from COVID-19 as well as 66,964 new cases, rasing the national death toll to 406,437 and the total caseload to 14,725,975, the Ministry of Health said on Saturday.

The daily average number of deaths in the last seven days was 2,421, while the figure for April was higher than 3,000, according to the ministry.

SANTIAGO, May 1 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Chilean and human rights organizations together with former Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón filed an accusation before the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague against President Sebastián Piñera for his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity during the 2019 protests, it was reported.

BRASILIA, May 1 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — The Russian manufacturers of the Sputnik V vaccine have filed a libel lawsuit in Brazil against the country’s National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) for “intentionally spreading false and inaccurate information” about the covid-19 inoculator after prohibiting its import, citing lack of data, the immunizer’s Twitter account (@sputnikvaccine) reported.

(Reuters) --- The director of Chile’s health regulator said he sees no evidence of safety issues with Sputnik V, the COVID-19 vaccine developed in Russia, despite its rejection by the Brazilian health regulator this week over a lack of information about its safety.

(Reuters) --- A Brazilian court confirmed on Friday the impeachment of Rio de Janeiro's state governor Wilson Witzel over alleged graft in the purchase of medical supplies and services to fight the COVID-19 outbreak.

Witzel, who denies any wrongdoing, had been temporarily removed from power in August 2020.

Investigations by Brazilian prosecutors say that Witzel bought 700 million reais ($128.76 million) in ventilators which have never been delivered to treat COVID-19 patients.

($1 = 5.4366 reais)

BRASILIA, April 30 (Xinhua) -- All Brazilians can be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of the year, Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga said Friday.

"We have enough doses for the second half (of the year) and it is possible to guarantee that by the end of 2021 our entire population will be vaccinated," Queiroga said during a press conference held jointly with the World Health Organization (WHO).

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil on Thursday became the second country to officially top 400,000 COVID-19 deaths, losing another 100,000 lives in just one month, as some health experts warn there may be gruesome days ahead when the Southern Hemisphere enters winter.

April was Brazil’s deadliest month of the pandemic, with thousands of people losing their lives daily at crowded hospitals.

BRASÍLIA, April 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Brazil’s health regulator denied a request from several states to import Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, saying it did not have the technical data needed to verify the jab’s safety and efficacy.

“We will never allow millions of Brazilians to be exposed to products without due verification of quality, safety and efficacy,” said Antonio Barra Torres, president of federal health regulator Anvisa.

LIMA, April 26 (NNN-TELESUR) — Thousands of Peruvians have set up a temporary camp on the outskirts of Lima after losing their homes due to the economic crisis generated by COVID-19.

Government officials have unsuccessfully tried to persuade occupants to leave. They refuse, not having anywhere else to go, their leaders say.

The temporary settlement is located a few meters from the Pacific coast in Villa el Salvador and already has over 9,000 dwellers.