The European Parliament adopted by 597 votes to 51, with 43 abstentions a resolution on the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America.
The text adopted in plenary was tabled by the EPP, S&D, Renew, Greens/EFA and ECR groups.
Latin America has been the one of the regions worst hit by COVID-19. It has accumulated at present more than a fifth of global deaths from coronavirus.
COVID-19 disproportionately affects low and middle-income and developing countries and groups in situations of vulnerability, including women and girls, the elderly, minorities and indigenous communities.
In some Latin American countries, as in many parts of the world, the pandemic has also been used as a pretext for repression, disproportionately restricted political opposition and civil society gatherings and activities.
Parliament reiterated its deep concern over the devastating impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on both the European and the Latin American continents and expressed its solidarity towards all victims and their families, as well all those affected by the health, economic and social crises.
It called on the governments of both regions, for the EU institutions and for Latin American integration bodies to step up bi-regional cooperation and to improve preparedness and response capacities, protection income, and access to basic healthcare and the efficient management of widespread vaccination plans.
The EU and its Member States should cooperate with the authorities of Latin American countries in need and deploy the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and other solidarity funding pursuant to the multiannual financial framework 2021-2027 in order to tackle the pandemic.
Free access to vaccines should be secured for the whole population without undue delay. In this respect, Parliament called on the international community to increase efforts to strengthen the distribution capacity of the COVAX initiative which aims to secure fair and equitable access to safe and effective vaccines in low- and middle-income countries. The Commission, the European Investment Bank and the EU Member States have pledged more than EUR 2.2 billion to the COVAX Facility.
Lastly, Parliament called on the Commission and the EEAS to provide for a specific engagement on knowledge transfer and crisis response action and planning, building on current EU legislative proposals such as the Cross-Border Health Threat Regulation, in order to help Latin American countries become better prepared in the event of future pandemics.