Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Friday ratified the Bolivarian government’s commitment to guarantee the immunization of at least 70 percent of the population during this year, amid the fight against the pandemic and the economic blockade implemented by Washington.

During a public speech, the Venezuelan president called on his US counterpart, Joe Biden, to release the financial resources seized from Venezuela to purchase vaccines against the coronavirus.

‘I strongly call on the US government to stop blocking Venezuela’s money in order to purchase vaccines (…) and speed up the immunization process of at least 70 percent of the population,’ the head of State stressed.

Maduro described the freezing of the last four payments at the Swiss bank UBS, amounting to 10 million dollars allocated to complete the 120 million dollars for the country’s commitment to the Global Access Fund for Covid-19 Vaccines (COVAX), as a criminal action.

The president reiterated that Venezuela has already paid off the entire established finacial sum, which leaves the COVAX mechanism without excuses to send the vaccines agreed upon, slightly over 11 million doses.

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