The Minister of Social Development, Martin Lema, shot at the mayor of Montevideo, Carolina Cosseregarding his statements about homeless people and assured that there are files where the mayor promoted that living on the street is a right.
Some days ago, Carolina Cosse spoke about the vandalization of waste containers. During his speech, he assured that one of the causes is the explosion of people experiencing homelessness that has occurred in recent years.
Faced with this, the head of the portfolio of Social development He assured that “the mayor reveals other absences and other failures, such as the improper use of public spaces.” In that sense, he stressed that “when there is a person improperly using public spaces, the Law of Misdemeanors has the Ministry of Interior in the repressive part, and the one who has to set up the camps is the mayor’s own office.”
“When talking about people living on the street, it really catches my attention when it comes from the Municipality of Montevideo. Because there is a record that those who promoted the culture that living on the street is a right were the mayor,” said Lema, who added that for the ministry “living on the street is a dramatic situation.”
Meanwhile, the possible candidate for mayor for the Municipality of Montevideo with the National Party For the 2025 elections, he added that he would like “the mayor to cover the number of homes of thousands of Montevideo residents.” “After 35 years of management of the Wide Front in Montevideo They have to live with sources of infections, among garbage dumps, among dirt, with the presence of rats. The mayor has been absent and gives her opinion on issues that are not a matter of direct competence,” the leader stated.
The number of people living outdoors increased by 48% in 2023 compared to 2021
He Ministry of Social Development (Mides) conducted a census in August of last year that found an increase in 48% of people living outdoors and a 24% of people in street situations, numbers that put on the table the high cost of living in the Uruguay as well as addiction problems, according to the portfolio leader, Martin Lema.
In a press conference, the minister assured that, compared to the last Mides survey in 2021, there was a 24% increase in people living on the street and a 48% increase in people living outdoors. The minister was at his appearance in the commission of the Chamber of Deputies that analyzes the Accountability project when it decided to provide these numbers to the media.
As confirmed by the press, based on preliminary census data, this year 1360 people living on the streets, an increase of 48% unlike 2021 where the numbers did not exceed 1000 people, more specifically, 920. Regarding people living in sheltersthe number increased by 8% compared to 2021 where a total of 1,395 were revealed compared to 1,295 people. With this, among people who live in shelters and those who sleep on the street there were an increase of 24%, going from 2,215 people in 2021 to 2,755 currently.
Lema assured that there is a structural problem and that the ministry is in search to solve the causes, which often has to do with addiction problems. “The damn drug is what is destroying a number of lives of young people who, once they start using it, are no longer free to choose the destiny they want for their lives,” she said.
Source: Ambito
