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ACI Prensa Staff, Jan 9, 2024 / 09:00 am (CNA).
Two Peruvian priests and the president of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference responded to “visionary” Erica Serrano, who encouraged people to use a consecrated host to perform… […]

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Dec 9, 2019 / 07:00 pm (CNA).- The latest report issued by the Argentina Observatory of Social Debt of the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina showed that the rate of poverty and indigence is the highest in ten years.

The report indicated that 6.5% of households and 8.9% of people are indigent, and during the last trimester of 2019, 32.1% of households and 40.8% of people are below the poverty line.

These results show the sudden reversal of the economic conditions recouped by households during 2017.

The Observatory pointed to “cumulative regressive effects” in the country creating “the pitfalls of a growth model that is unstable, unbalanced and unequal, due to the absence of sustainable economic, social and environmental development policies.”

“Both persistent inequality and structural poverty are the result of an economic-productivity imbalance with the effects of exclusion, marginalization, and inequality on the socio-cultural, socio-demographic, and socio-occupational level,” the Observatory stated.

The report measures poverty and indigency rates by income and incorporates a multidimensional measurement that includes access to rights such as food, healthcare and education, basic services, a healthy environment, employment and social security, as well as subjective well-being.

The Observatory determined that although there were “improvements during the decade, structural inequality has increased, expressing itself in food insecurity, poor environmental quality and deficient access to water, energy, sanitation services and decent housing.”

“Repeated devaluations, rising inflation, stagnation, rising unemployment and changes agreed to with the International Monetary Fund explain the deterioration,” they said.

In addition “household labor and non-labor income in the lower middle sectors of society were below the increases in the price of goods and services of basic consumption ”.

Triggering this decline is a greater deterioration of the labor market due to job losses as well as “the impossibility of compensating that deterioration with alternative work. This explains the increase in the rate of indigency as well as the increase in the poverty gap.”

“All this had regressive effects in terms of economic inequality,” the report summarized.

According to a Congressional Research Service October 10, 2019 analysis, the Argentine peso “has lost two-thirds of its value since 2018; inflation is hovering around 30%; and since 2015 the economy has contracted by about 4% and its external debt has increased by 60%. In June 2018, the Argentine government turned to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for support and currently has a $57 billion IMF program, the largest program (in dollar terms) in IMF history.”

“Despite these resources, the government in late August and early September 2019 postponed payments on some of its debts and imposed currency controls…Argentina has a long history of economic crises. It has defaulted on its external debt (debt held by foreigners) nine times since independence in 1816. Argentina has also entered into 21 IMF programs since joining the international organization in 1956. The current economic crisis facing Argentina stems from longstanding challenges, as well as more recent developments.”

A version of this story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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Martín Menem, pictured here on Dec. 7, 2023, the day he was elected president of Argentina’s Chamber of Deputies. / Credit: Chamber of Deputies, Republic of Argentina

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Dec 17, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The president of Argentina’s Chamber of Deputies, Martín Menem, openly declared himself to be pro-life and anticipates that in 2025 an attempt could be made to repeal the abortion law passed in December 2020 during the administration of former president Alberto Fernández.

In an interview with Alejandro Fantino, the legislative leader, who belongs to the La Libertad Avanza (Freedom Advances) ruling coalition, considered that “the previous [law] can be modified or a new law can be made that repeals the previous one.”

Asked about the possibility of moving in that direction next year, he acknowledged that “it could be,” but “I don’t think we have the numbers,” that is, the number of legislators necessary to pass it.

“I’m pro-life, literally. Without hesitation. A light blue neckerchief supporter from here to China,” Menem emphasized, referring to the color of the neckerchief adopted by pro-life advocates and often seen at pro-life events defending “both lives” in Argentina.

When the journalist interviewing him warned of the social consequences that a change in the abortion law could bring, Menem was firm: “We have dealt with a lot of other interests and we haven’t hesitated about that.”

Ana Belén Mármora, a lawyer, journalist, and pro-life leader, spoke with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, and considered “a fact to be celebrated that for the first time in many years that we have a president of the chamber who is openly pro-life, something that did not happen during any debate.”

Mármora said that Menem’s opinion makes it clear that “we must fill the Chamber of Deputies, and also the Senate, with legislators who respect life from conception and are willing to prepare for a new debate, so that respect for life can make progress in Argentina.”

Toward this goal, she anticipated “the legislative elections in 2025 will be crucial” and expressed hope: “The possibility of reversing [the abortion law] is in our hands.”

At the same time, Mármora said, “there is no doubt that [President] Javier Milei will set our agenda and future debates.” Milei has spoken out on several occasions against abortion, which he describes as “murder aggravated by the bond” (relationship) between the killer and the victim.

However, the government has not introduced a bill on the matter, and last May Milei said the issue was not on the agenda.

María Guadalupe Correa of the organization Frente Joven (Youth Front) told ACI Prensa that every year they see “how the issue of abortion kills not only children but also the mothers and families that we accompany.”

“Since the passage of Law 27.610, we find ourselves in a society that has accepted abortion as a reality and has stopped talking about the issue,” she lamented.

She therefore considered it essential “that the issue be part of the national agenda again, that our officials speak in favor of life. We want the life of all Argentines to be upheld from conception, that hospitals be places that welcome life, where both physical and mental health are accompanied and cared for,” she said.

In this regard, she appreciated that the current president of the Chamber of Deputies “openly expresses his position, giving rise to a new debate.” This, she said, “brings hope to all those who, through foundations or small actions, seek to serve families, mothers, and children.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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