NIH had given Caucaseco and the MVDC $17 million since 2003 to fund pointless malaria tests that produced no treatment or cure for humans.
These squirrel monkeys, who were rescued from the Primate Center
Foundation, are recovering at a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation
center, © Aymer Álvarez/El País
PETA has received news that the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
has finally acted and officially shut off the spigot of money
flowing to the Colombian organizations at the center of an 18-month
PETA investigation.
No more taxpayer dollars will go to fund the Caucaseco Scientific
Research Center and the Malaria Vaccine and Development Center
(MVDC). As of June 29, according to NIH correspondence PETA has
received, those two organizations became ineligible to receive NIH
grants in the future.
The funding cancellation by NIH means it’s unlikely Caucaseco will
ever reopen its doors or torment any other animals in pointless
experiments.
NIH lagged far behind Colombian authorities, who, beginning months
ago, cracked down on Caucaseco, stopping all animal experiments
there, closing the facilities, and seizing nearly 300 animals, many
of whom suffered from maladies both old and new.
A Colombian regional environmental agency filed formal charges
against Caucaseco for lacking permits to experiment on monkeys and
to capture squirrel monkeys, causing “harm to wildlife,” and for
other violations.
The Colombian comptroller general audited the owners’ contracts and
found several irregularities that warrant disciplinary action. He
requested a refund of at least $157,000.
Colombian auditors have also found irregularities in the
organization’s books. Further charges may be on the way.
But NIH, which has given Caucaseco and the MVDC $17 million since
2003 to fund pointless malaria tests that produced no treatment or
cure for humans, sat on its hands. PETA repeatedly called for NIH to
dry up its funding, cancel its contracts, and recoup the money
already given to the organizations. Even recently, NIH appeared to
still be backing Caucaseco, trying to help it continue operations
and receive funding in another country.