The head of Government of the City of Buenos Aires, Jorge Macriacknowledged that the publication he shared on his social networks about the operations carried out by the Buenos Aires administration with people who are homeless “It was not very happy”.
On Wednesday, Macri posted on his Instagram account how the Buenos Aires government acts against the “ranchadas” of homeless people on public roads, with photos that show the before and after. “Special order and cleaning operation in Recoleta and Palermo“, titled one of the stories. The image combined two photos. In the top one, you can see homeless people being interrogated by personnel from the City of Buenos Aires, and in the bottom one, the moment in which they remove the homeless people’s belongings. These are interventions carried out in the neighborhoods of Recoleta and Palermo.
The publications of the head of the Buenos Aires Executive Branch were repudiated on social networks. However, in addition to criticism from leaders and activists of Kirchnerism, the former Minister of Human Development of the City and current director of Socio-productive Integration of Fundar spoke out against her, Maria Migliorewhich integrated the management of Horacio Rodríguez Larreta and was in charge of the BAP program, who expressed: “We cannot show homeless people as if they were an object to be moved to clean a place.”.
“A homeless person is someone who, in addition to being in a situation of poverty, has lost all family and social ties, who is going through a very painful situation. So, we cannot talk and show them as if they were an object to be moved to clean a place. That doesn’t help change your situation. The approach is different, one that does not dehumanize. Because the street is not a place to live. For no one. Never”, completed the former PRO official.
For his part, the deputy of Unión por la Patria and former candidate for head of Government, Leandro Santoro, tweeted: “Hello @jorgemacri. I think it’s very good that you clean the city a little… But Do you realize that in this video you are putting homeless people on the same level as GARBAGE??”
In the midst of the impact that the publication had, Jorge Macri spoke this Thursday night and admitted that “It was very unhappy”. “Especially because it doesn’t sum up everything we’re doing,” she added.
In that sense, he stated that “the large cities of the world are crossed by a dramatic problem of people living on the streets, combined with addictions and mental health.” He exemplified with American cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles and Manhattan, “places where it is brutally noticeable.”
“We have a very clear approach: we have expanded the number of shelters offered, more than 3,400 places and we have identified 3,400 homeless people, but there are a thousand or so who do not agree to go to those places, they sleep on the street,” he explained.
Macri reported that 60% of homeless people “have no identified connection with anyone; they are alone in absolute loneliness; Nobody asks for them and they do not recognize who can ask for them, there is no one to work with on their mental health problems.” While “70% have serious addictions and psychotic breaks”.
“Also “We take care of cleaning the places they used as bathrooms because the rest of society deserves to live in a more orderly and clean city.”he added in statements to All News (TN). The former president’s cousin defended his management, highlighting that “The approach we have is comprehensive and humane”and once again recognized that “The publication was very bad communication that does not reflect what we are doing.”
At the end of the interview, he revealed an alarming fact: “The number of people experiencing homelessness grew by 40%, it is a catastrophe.”
