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Viewpoint: 'Our dreams have been stolen'
Taxi
driver Daniel, a
taxi driver, is diabetic. His biggest worry is that chemists are running
out of medicines, including insulin. "It's
not just about economics, it's about my life. I've been going to different
pharmacies and they are not selling insulin. They know the prices will go
up, so they are just not selling it," he said. Now the
government and social support groups are giving some insulin to the most
needy, but Luis's problems are not over. After four years of recession, he
says the taxi business is worse than ever. "All the
prices are going up. I went to the store last night and even the pasta is
more expensive now. But of course I cannot put my fares up," he
complains. "People don't have any cash because of the bank
restrictions, so they are not using the few coins they have for taxi
rides. "They
say devaluation is necessary to reactivate the economy, but I really don't
know. What we need is less corruption. I don't believe this crisis is
over." Computer
programmer Gaston is 30
years old, he is self-employed and programmes computers. He comes from a
typical middle class family and started his own business at the age of 19.
"I love
my work and I love my country. But now I don't know what to do. I only
want to have a stable job. Now I am even thinking of going abroad as I
don't see any future here." The
devaluation, and the uncertainty of how it will affect people, exacerbates
the sadness in the people. In the long queues at the Spanish and Italian
consulates people say 'they stole our dreams.' "I am
different. I keep hoping. I keep dreaming. But I am worried, I really
don't know what is going to happen," says Gaston. This week, his main
worry is a dollar debt he has with a friend. "How can
I pay them back in pesos? I owe $3,000 and now it's much more than
that." Also he fears
for his business. "People were already struggling to buy but now it's
a whole lot harder. The computers are still been in dollars, in Argentina
we don't produce any," he says. The
pensioner Julia Marini,
a pensioner, says people are sick of the uncertainty. "For a
country that hopes to live in peace, five changes of authority in 13 days
is not an encouraging sign," she says. "We are
determined to return to our protests and pot banging if the government
does not act reasonably. "I
haven't been out on the streets for a few days, but from what I hear,
there is a feeling of despair. "There
are huge queues of people outside the banks. Employees are nervous because
the public is nervous. The new measures are not yet clear. "I'll be
back out on the streets banging a pot in protest if the government does
not respond to the crisis. "I will
demonstrate because sadly, as citizens, we have put up with so much. For
over 50 years we have had to bear corruption and arbitrary measures. "It
won't be easy. There are many who are not willing to budge in their
positions. "For
example, one of our new ministers, who has an impeccable record, decided
to sack some people with dubious track records. The next day, he had to go
back on his decision - no doubt under intense pressure. "Also,
the president proposed that senior officials should not be paid for three
to six months - they were not affected by the 13% reduction in salaries
and pensions. But parliament unanimously rejected that idea. "The
banks are in chaos. The government has decided that all transactions
should be conducted in pesos rather than dollars. "There
is very little money in circulation because of the restrictions. The
pharmaceutical companies, for example, are not giving the chemists
medicines because they are waiting for a price hike. The pharmacies are
empty. "I have
just read that the price of bread will be tied to the dollar and will go
up by about 25%. "My
pension is in pesos. There are many people who have their savings in
dollars - if they are converted to pesos they will lose a considerable
part of their savings. "It
shouldn't be like this at all - this is a country that has been blessed
with incredible natural and human resources. "I ask
myself everyday what is going to happen tomorrow. At this stage in life,
when one needs to be more protected, one finds oneself unprotected. "I do
feel attacked, destroyed. What can you feel when you read that 50% of our
professionals are out of work? "Our
country does not deserve this. It is all because of rotten leadership.
They have amassed debts and kept the money for themselves." FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Global Action on Aging distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
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