Fernandez: "Inequality is a consequence of those who fight for an absent State"

President Alberto Fernández affirmed that in Latin America and the Caribbean “the gap between rich and poor is the deepest on the planet” and assured that this inequality “is a direct consequence of those who fight for an absent State.”

Within the framework of the inauguration of the 39th session of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), which takes place from Monday to Wednesday at the Kirchner Cultural Center (CCK), Fernández said that in the region “the ethical imperative is imposed to change this present and unite in this common effort”.

“We live in the most unequal continent in the world. Here the gap between rich and poor is the deepest on the planet,” said the President, adding that “the ethical imperative to change this present is imposed on us. It is time to tear down walls and build bridges”.

He stressed that “the inequality we face is a direct consequence of those who fight for an absent state that leaves the solution to that inequality in the hands of the market.”

“They are the same ones that with their policies allow income to be concentrated in a few while poverty is distributed among millions of human beings. Thus, wealth accumulates in tax havens and never spills over to the most needy,” added the head of Condition.

He affirmed that, “taking advantage of the uneasiness generated by the pandemic and the economic effects of the warextremist and violent discourses have proliferated“, and warned that “those who seek to weaken and erode democracies have specific interests that lead them to promote extreme polarization.”

“We all know well that the worsening in income distribution and in the quantity and quality of work is not the product of those of us who believe in a present State that promotes active policies that lead to the construction of a fairer and more inclusive society,” Fernandez remarked.

In this context, called to “rebuild the great homeland” and considered that “the current situation in the region requires a critical look and innovative responses to design policies and solutions made in Latin America and for Latin America and the Caribbean.”

He also referred to the climate crisis and the energy transition and said that “it is essential to deepen the actions in pursuit of this energy development through the identification of projects, cooperation at the regional level and the search for sources of financing from the main organizations multilateral credit institutions.

“Now that the IDB has returned to Latin American and Caribbean hands, we need resources so that the transformation we propose can materialize,” said the president.

In addition, he stressed the need to “reduce the technological gap” since “it is directly related to the location of productive investments in our countries.”

“We must cooperate together, as a region, on public policies that stimulate private investment to democratize connectivity; we can also work together on a 4.0 agenda among the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean in areas such as the knowledge economy, satellite technology, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity,” Fernández proposed.

About, highlighted that “the core document presented by ECLAC proposes very valuable lines of work in relation to reducing the technological gap“, and considered that “they offer the possibility of identifying the vectors that allow us to associate in the value chain as links that add technology and employment in the production process”.

On the other hand, he highlighted the need to generate “affirmative actions in the region that promote the care system and full participation of women and diversities in politics and economy for a transformative recovery.”

“In this time no one is saved alone,” said the President, paraphrasing Pope Francisand invited the representatives of the region to “stay together”.