President Alberto Fernández said on Monday that for growth to be development “it has to reach the last man, the last woman, in the last corner of the country,” and pointed out that, after almost 40 years of uninterrupted democracy, “demand of ‘peace, bread and work’ is still valid in Argentina”.
By participating in the opening of the International Meeting for Housing, Environment and Popular Habitat that was held at the Kirchner Cultural Center (CCK) in Buenos Aires, the head of state stressed that the country “is not enough to grow” and that, like all of Latin America, “it needs to develop.”
Before a forum made up of social leaders, Fernández recalled the former Secretary General of the CGT Saul Ubaldini and evoked the historic march held in 1982 against the military dictatorship.
“On that March 30, thousands and thousands of Argentines went out to say ‘enough’ to the dictatorship with a slogan ‘Peace, bread and work’. It was the first strong movement against the dictatorship, many leaders ended up in prison. Two days later, the military dictatorship began its adventure in the Malvinas, which ended as everyone knows. 40 years have passed since that date, however, the demand for ‘bread, peace and work’ is still in force in Argentina”, he pointed out.
In line with that reasoning, he said that one must ask “seriously what has happened in democracy for that demand to remain in force.”
“There are answers. In these 40 years of democracy, neoliberal policies have been filtered, that the only thing they do is postpone millions so that a few take the profit. We do not believe in those policies. We believe that it is not enough for Argentina to grow, that it needs to develop. The same thing happens to Latin America.Fernandez added.
In addition, he stressed that for growth to become development “it has to reach the last man, the last woman, in the last corner of the country, otherwise that is not development.”
The President also made reference to the coronavirus pandemic, which showed inequality within countries and in the world: “We saw who accessed medical care and who did not, we saw in many Latin American countries people die in the streets, it did not happen in Argentina, thank God”he highlighted.
“10 percent of the central countries kept 90% of the vaccines”Fernandez said and concluded: “After so much injustice, we have the ethical and moral duty to change this reality to make a fairer society.”
In the opening panel, the President was accompanied by the Minister of Public Works, Gabriel Katopodis, and by social leader Luis D’Elía.
