Proposing a collective analysis, this “Manual for Undecideds” urges citizens to focus their attention on the vital issues of daily well-being: security, education, health, housing, work and retirement.
In this third episode of “La Cosa Vostra”, detailed comparisons of the social management of the past governments of the Frente Amplio and the current one of the Multicolor Coalition are presented.
Social public spending
One of the most prominent axes of the analysis is public social spending. Under the Frente Amplio government, public social spending increased significantly allowing profound reforms in taxation and health, considerable increases in family allowances and retirements, as well as the largest minimum wage increase in Latin America during his 15 years in office.
“Public social spending was the lung of the Frente Amplio in the 15 years it was in government”
In contrast, The focus of the current government has been to reduce social spendingprioritizing economic growth over redistribution, a measure that has raised criticism for its impact on key areas such as education and health, highlights Fasano Mertens, exposing tables with graphs and official numbers in his program.
The Education Passport
Education represents another fundamental pillar of this chapter of “La Cosa Vostra” where marked differences between both governments are evident. From a notable increase of 65% in public social spending dedicated to education during the Frente Amplio period, there has been considerable cuts under the current administrationaffecting key institutions such as the University of the Republic (UDELAR). This change in approach, Fasano argues, deteriorates educational quality and exacerbates social inequality, already existing in educational access and quality between different social strata. This highlights how, by neglecting such a vital resource as education, a social structure that limits opportunities for large sectors of the population is perpetuated.
“Education is the essential passport to be able to move in society, without education there is no rebellion”
In his program, the journalist highlighted that during the Frente Amplio governments there was a 315% increase in graduates and that “The most important thing about the graduates is that 52% of their parents were never university students, this shows the social sensitivity of one government and another government”highlighting that in the current administration “the gray matter has been defeated by the raw material.”
The health budget
In the field of health, Fasano highlights that the reforms implemented by the Frente Amplio transformed the panorama, extending health coverage to more than three times as many users, reaching levels comparable to OECD standards. However, the current government has made significant cuts to the health budget, impacting the availability of medicines and extending waiting times for critical health care services, explains the social communicator.
“They are dismantling ASSE and above all they are privatizing everything they can.”
The impact on the Uruguayan middle class
In another part of the program, the journalist analyzes the impact of government policy on the middle class, and details how during the Frente Amplio administration, the middle class experienced notable growth, with an elevation in the economic status of almost half a million. citizens. Conversely, the last government has seen a decrease in the number of people belonging to the middle class, influenced by factors such as rate increases and tax adjustments.
The former director of the newspaper La República also addresses the issue of growing personal debt among Uruguayans, a phenomenon that the Central Bank of Uruguay has highlighted, revealing that a large part of the population is severely indebted. The Central Bank survey reflects that a significant percentage of the population resorts to debt to cover basic expenses, an alarming testament to the deterioration of economic conditions for a large sector of society.
Social security “a great national agreement”
In another part of his program, Federico Fasano Mertens underlines the importance of maintaining a continuous and clarifying dialogue around social security policies, questioning the recent proposed reforms that, he argues, disproportionately unload the burden of defunding on workers and retirees. , and proposes a call for a “grand national agreement” to address inequities and disagreements that have arisen in the current debate over the country’s economic and social future.
“Workers, retirees and pensioners are the ones who have to cover the defunding, that is not fair”
There is a “lack of sensitivity”
Fasano remembers past times in which white and red leaders who governed Uruguay for decades, showed a social sensitivity that, he suggests, seems to have been lost in modern politics.. In a final reflection, the current administration is urged to deeply consider who its policies have truly served, evoking a sense of historical and moral responsibility for all citizens.
“There is a lack of sensitivity, primates, our ancestors, inoculated the concern of caring for the elderly into the brains of the apes”
More than half of the population is in debt
In his analysis, the communicator mentions that in the last 55 months debt has multiplied, “The central bank has just issued a statement that there are 1,900,000 debtors” and reported that the Central Bank conducted a survey and asked debtors why they got into debt and 38% responded that they do not make ends meet and those debts are to be able to eat and to make ends meet.the other 36% responded that “we barely make ends meet.”
The Sociodyssey
“I have tried very hard to try to find a light among so many shadows of the social management of the current government and I have not been able to find any”laments the journalist, hoping to find them in his next chapters in which he will address topics such as the economy and security, among others.
At the end of his program Fasano recalled that During the Frente Amplio government, a survey was carried out on happiness that resulted in 8 out of 10 Uruguayans being happy.. The communicator called on the same company (Opción Consultores) to carry out the same survey to compare the results, questioning the current government stating that ““it did not take into account the daily reality of the population, it entered into a kind of Sociodyssey, a lag of disagreements and misunderstandings between the government and society.”
“The 5 years of happiness that were promised to us turned into the 5 worst years of the last two decades.”
As Fasano concluded his program he recalled a thought from Don Quixote where the author points out that There are two lineages in this world, “those who have and those who have not”, and threw a message to President Lacalle Pou with the question: “Which of the two lineages did you serve in these 55 months?”
