Coronavirus

Peruvian Evangelicals inject thousands with fake Covid-19 cure

peru amazon evangelicals
Man in a market in Lima, the Peruvian capital. Photo: Joel Salvador/Shutterstock

As the number of infections and deaths from Covid-19 skyrockets across Latin America, dubbed the new epicenter of the pandemic by the World Health Organization, several shady outfits are taking advantage of fear and desperation to promote their agendas. In Peru, a group of evangelicals known as the Amazon Evangelical Mission has injected at least 5,000 persons living in the Amazon region of the country with an anti-parasite vaccine. It was promoted as a “salvation” from the coronavirus.

In the Loreto region, which has an indigenous population of around 300,000 individuals, fears of Covid-19 and the lack of state assistance has left many desperate and seeking any help they can find against a virus that has infected 251,000 Peruvians and killed some 7,861. Loreto Governor Giampaolo Rojas, an evangelical himself, broadcasted messages on the radio encouraging people to take the injection promoted as a “vaccine” against Covid-19. 

Reported side-effects are horrific, including possible permanent cardiovascular damage and severe diarrhea. Despite official government warnings and medical officials pointing out the potential health risks involved, this modern-day snake oil is still being promoted by the governor as an effective vaccine. 


Support this coverage →Support this coverage →