Coronavirus, did Italy donate 21.5 million euros to Bolivia?

Rome, Mar 27 – “The head of Italian cooperation in Bolivia, Angelo Benincasa, said that the government (Italian, ed) will donate 21.5 million euros to Bolivia for the fight against coronavirus “. This is reported in the Bolivian press, including the newspaper El Mundo, which publishes a statement by Benincasa himself: “Italy is alongside the Bolivians and this funding is aimed at supporting the Bolivian health system. It is a loan of 21.5 million euros. ” In an interview published on Youtube by the broadcaster Postdata Itv, Benincasa confirmed the kind donation speaking of almost “22 million euros to combat coronavirus”.

From Bolivia to Tunisia

In short, in the midst of a health emergency caused by a virus that is also bringing our economy to its knees, the Italian government would seem to be intent on worrying about the spread of Covid in other countries. As we reported in this newspaper, in fact, Italy paid 50 million euros through Cassa Depositi e Prestiti as an aid credit to the Tunisian Central Bank, sum intended to support Tunisian companies. A significant figure which by way of example would allow the purchase of approximately 500 thousand Ffp 3 masks to be allocated to our healthcare personnel. As pointed out this morning, always in this newspaper, about it Andrea Delmastro Delle Vedove, a member of the Brothers of Italy and FdI group leader in the Foreign Affairs Committee, yesterday presented one question to the Foreign Minister, Luigi Di Maio.

What does Di Maio say?

But now we find out that we are probably not just helping Tunisia. At this point, given what was reported by the Bolivian media and especially by the director of the foreign headquarters of theItalian Agency for Development Cooperation in Bolivia, it seems right to ask further explanations to Luigi Di Maio: Are you aware of this donation to Bolivia? Is he the one who authorized it? Is this always a loan by way of credit from Cassa Depositi e Prestiti? The Foreign Minister cannot refrain from providing explanations, because in a moment of dramatic health emergency like the one facing Italy, it is unacceptable for tens of millions of euros to fly abroad to fight coronavirus elsewhere. Among other things, according to the data recorded yesterday, in Bolivia there are only 39 confirmed cases of infection.

Eugenio Palazzini