Paraguay President Sacks Three Ministers Over COVID-19 Handling

Following the protests that erupted in Paraguay, President Mario Abdo Benitez sacked three of his ministers over the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. These ministers were from education, women's affairs, and civil affairs.

Prior to this, the health minister of the country has submitted his resignation last Friday following his meeting with the president. Health Minister Julio Mazzoleni has been criticized by health care unions.

Abdo has chosen Dr. Julio Borba be the replacement of Mazzoleni following the latter's resignation. Borba was the vice minister before Mazzoleni left his post.

Protests in Paraguay

An angry mob clashed with police on Friday over dismay to the government's handling of the pandemic. During the protests, cars were set on fire and shops were breached in, according to an Al Jazeera report.

Protesters rallied outside the Congress building calling for the resignation of Benitez. This was seconded by opposition parties, even calling for new election.

Police were reported to use tear gas and rubber bullets while clashing with protesters, while rallyists were breaching security barriers, burned down road barricades, and threw stones at police.

Interior Minister Arnaldo Giuzzio said that the protesters are people who only seek to destroy, adding that they have taken it too far.

"This violence does not make sense," Giuzzio was quoted in a report.

Protesters and opposition lawmakers have claimed that the country's health system has further worsened due to continuous corruption in public procurement and spending, according to The New York Times report.

"It's not the fault of Paraguayan people - it's a serious corruption problem," Efraín Alegre, the head of the main opposition party, the Liberal Party, was quoted in a report.

Alegre added that the people of Paraguay have already paid for the drugs and vaccines that have not yet arrived in the country.

COVID-19 Pandemic in Paraguay

Meanwhile, health workers in the country said that hospitals have ran out of medicines to treat patients infected with the virus.

Paraguay has registered more than 165,000 cases of COVID-19, of which 3,200 deaths were registered. The continuous rise in cases in the recent weeks has caused the country's health system to struggle.

The rising cases were further worsened with the slow distribution of the vaccines, with less than 0.1 percent of the population receiving a dose.

"I am sure that the men and women named will do their utmost to confront this moment of crisis that the country is enduring," Abdo was quoted in a report.

Health ministry spokesman Hernan Martinez said that the country is in a critical situation. He advised the public to avoid the crowds as it can save them the collapse of the health care system.

The government announced on Saturday that the 20,000 Coronavac vaccines from China had arrived, which was donated by the Chilean Government of Sebastian Pinera.

The doses were allotted for front-line medical personnel fighting the pandemic.

In addition to the Coronavac vaccines, the country is also waiting for the arrival of four million vaccines by the Convax system of the World Health Organization, as well as a million doses of the Russian Vaccine Sputnik V.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also labeled the COVID-19 pandemic in Paraguay as a Level 4 determination, with a description of "Very High."

The CDC advised travelers to avoid all travels to Paraguay. However, if one must, CDC advised getting tested before the trip.

The CDC also advised travelers to wear a mask during travel, avoid crowds, and stay at least 6 feet from people who are not traveling with them.

WATCH: Paraguay's president asks all ministers to resign after protests -from Al Jazeera English