Latin America: Riots and unrest as COVID-19 cases increase

People are in some countries in Latin America are extensively protesting due to stricter coronavirus restrictions being imposed to fight an increase in infections.

Sunday, 7th March 2021

Fresh anti-government protests erupted in various cities ono Latin America Sunday. Photo by Reuters.

People are in some countries in Latin America are extensively protesting due to stricter coronavirus restrictions being imposed to fight an increase in infections. Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benitez has called on all cabinet ministers to resign on Saturday, following riots during a protest against the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis. READ MORE RECENT NEWS HERE Benitez is responding to the demands of the people, Communications Minister Juan Manuel Brunetti told reporters. In the capital Asuncion, security forces used rubber bullets and tear gas on protesters, while protesters threw stones back on Friday night. Broadcaster ABC TV Paraguay resumed in Asuncion and Ciudad del Este on Saturday night, using police water cannon to disperse protesters who again responded with stones. As of Friday, Paraguay has reported 165,811 cases of coronavirus and 3,278 deaths. READ MORE RECENT NEWS HERE It is awaiting the arrival of four million doses of vaccine from the World Health Organization's COVAX scheme and one million doses of Russian Sputnik V for a population of just over seven million. So far, Paraguay has received only 4,000 doses of vaccinations from Russia, intended for intensive care staff. "Indiscriminate violence." In Argentina, protests also erupted against renewed coronavirus measures, followed by a police crackdown. Regional police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters in the provincial capital Formosa after authorities closed some businesses to stem the recent increase in business. READ MORE RECENT NEWS HERE The Regional Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UN Coordinator for Argentina in a statement said they were concerned that the police had used "indiscriminate force that resulted in people being injured and detained" '. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights stated on its Twitter account that it was worried about reports that police officers were using rubber bullets, tear gas, and beatings against protesters and journalists. Argentina's chief of staff, Alberto Fernandez Santiago Cafiero declared on Twitter that "the state must assure the free, peaceful expression of people ... violence is never the path". READ MORE RECENT NEWS HERE Formosa, in northern Argentina, is one of the impoverished regions in the country and has been hit hard by a recession exacerbated by the coronavirus crisis. Argentina, a leading global grain producer, has reported 2.14 million cases of COVID-19 since March 2020 and more than 52,784 deaths due to the disease. Rio shutdown Meanwhile, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil Thursday announced new restrictions on pubs, restaurants, and beaches to contain a surge of COVID-19 pushing Brazilian hospitals to the breaking point. The city with 6.7 million people is the latest to return to partial exclusion in Brazil, which has set a COVID-19 record in the past two days and is experiencing the deadliest week of the pandemic.