Letter from Amnesty International to candidates …

Amnesty International has published an open letter to candidates for the presidential election proximity to the first presidential debate to be held on 13 October. Basically, they asked the candidates "Make public the human rights protection policy that they will implement." if they are elected by the citizens ".

In dialogue with Page / 12, Paola García Rey, Deputy Director of Amnesty International Argentina, said: "We believe that the important thing is not only to create an institution for human rights, but also that it must be transversal policy ". "We believe that it is essential to take advantage of the current situation in Argentina and the context of imminent debates so that, in the face of elections and the next administration, a solid human rights agenda be proposed, "added the spokesperson.

"Human rights are rights that we simply have because we are people. They do not respond to any party, political ideology, or interest. That is why those who assume the Argentine presidency must guarantee leadership that puts the human being at the center of government policies, plans and programs, "they said in the document.

As well, throughout the letter, they have formulated criticisms of the current situation in the country. "The unfair distribution of wealth; lack of transparency and accountability; obstacles to access to justice; and the weakening of institutions are just some of the reasons why many people still do not enjoy their fundamental rights, "they condemned the group, before saying that" in the context of A deep crisis, which includes the withdrawal of economic activity; the increase of poverty; the decline in real wages; deterioration of retirement and other social benefits; the loss of jobs and the fall in purchasing power in the face of rising inflation, the Argentine state should not take austerity measures without taking into account the norms, principles and commitments of human rights. man that Argentina has taken in its history. "

From Amnesty International, they were decisive in their reading of the current situation in the country and thought it appropriate to clarify that in the face of the crisis, the solution must not be "austerity measures based on the reduction of public spending, as these usually accompany tax increases that are particularly harmful to people living in poverty, as they increase the prices of commodities such as food products ". Subsequently, they noted that, because of such policies, people's access to basic human rights, such as education, health, housing and social security, was affected.

"There is no doubt that the national budget is under heavy pressure, but does the state make the maximum use of all available resources, as required by the right of human rights?" man, to protect the people? ", they asked. in the letter that are part of the recognized group.

García Rey told Amnesty International: "We have seen how a policy of centrality has recently acquired a security policy that takes into account indigenous peoples, migrations and protest movements against" security "without understanding that social demands are just. he responds with public policies. "The referral agency in Argentina finally reported that he had noticed a the increasing criminalization of internationally recognized human rights defenders and journalists"

The right to migrate is another of the axes addressed in the letter: according to García Rey, in recent years, policies that "sought to criminalize and expel migrants particularly manipulate the data to say that there was an overrepresentation of migrants in prisons or associate them with a crime without any real source of information to prove it. "They also pointed out in the public document addressed to the presidential candidates of the The importance of implementing different policies on climate change and gender issues in the present and the future.

Report: Melisa Molina.