The Latin American Report # 181: Brazil against mosquitoes and genocide in Gaza

Brazil rises against dengue fever

The South American giant kicked off a free vaccination campaign yesterday against this dangerous disease, which tends to rage on this side of the world. The country is experiencing a critical stage right now, with tens of thousands of probable cases reported in the populous cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. During all of January and the first days of February, a whopping 395,100 probable cases were reported, a figure that is four times higher than the one reported in a similar period last year. Just over 50 dengue-related deaths have been confirmed, a number that may rise as some 280 samples are analyzed. The current crisis is explained by the presence of variants that had not been reported for years, the very high temperatures that are being recorded, and the increase in rainfall. The Palácio do Planalto has earmarked about US$ 50 million to deal with the outbreaks.

_{The health system is under stress due to the accumulation of cases it has to deal with.}

The head of the health portfolio Nisia Trindade said that "even without an epidemic we would start this vaccination because dengue has been a health problem for a long time", with the country becoming the first in the world to immunize its people—appealing to a vaccine produced in Japan—through the public health system. Although it is alarming to know that children aged 10 and 11 make up the group that stands out most among those hospitalized, it is positive at the same time to know that they will be the ones prioritized in the first stage of the immunization campaign, given the "limited" production capacity. Lula da Silva's government aspires to reach more than 3 million vaccinated this year, which is still not a representative percentage of the 203 million Brazilians. The authorities of a country that is in full carnival mode hope to soon extend the age range of people to be vaccinated to 14 years, and also seek to produce the vaccines locally. In Cuba, scientists work on two formulations of a vaccine candidate for dengue, based on recombinant proteins.

Brasilia takes a stand on the situation in Gaza

The Brazilian president approved an additional contribution to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, taking a stand on an issue on which countries such as the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom have adopted a different position. Lula, along with presidents such as Gustavo Petro in Colombia, Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, and Andrés Manuel López Obrador in México, have been clear in their denunciation of Israeli atrocities in Gaza, although they were not explicit or proportionally critical when it came to addressing the events that triggered this crisis. "The recent allegations against UNRWA officials have to be duly investigated, but they cannot paralyze it", said Lula, while branding Netanyahu's offensive as "disproportionate". Even Joe Biden has had to come out and say that the reaction from Jerusalem has been "over the top".

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After alleging that a dozen members of the UNRWA participated in the Hamas attack on October 7, Israel now claims that it has found tunnels under its headquarters in Gaza, and has also denounced that electricity was provided from there for the tunnels that would have been used by the militants of the group in charge of the Strip for more than 15 years. This same Saturday, Israeli forces killed 44 Palestinians in Rafah, where the drums are beating for a land invasion that would be tantamount to checkmating a population that would have nowhere else to flee to. Overnight into Saturday, health authorities reported to AP that three airstrikes killed 28 people there, particularly targeting three families who mourn the death of 10 children, including one just 3 months old. In the past 24 hours, nearly 120 bodies of Palestinians killed in the bombings had been admitted to hospitals, bringing to more than 28,000 the death toll of the Israeli response, mostly women and children. "The time has come to put an end to the humanitarian catastrophe that has befallen the more than two million Palestinians living in Gaza... Enough of collective punishment", Lula said.

And this is all for our report today. I have referenced the sources dynamically in the text, and remember you can learn how and where to follow the LATAM trail news by reading my work here. Have a nice day.