AMERICA/ARGENTINA - "We are concerned about the new poor", said Mgr. Ojea, head of Caritas

Buenos Aires (Agenzia Fides) - The Church is concerned about the situation of poverty in the country, after the controversy following the statements of President Cristina Kirchner, according to which the figures indicate that the country has less than 5% of poor people and less than 1% of homeless. The note sent to Fides reports that His Exc. Mgr. Oscar Vicente Ojea Quintana, Bishop of San Isidro and head of Caritas Argentina, said: "As for the discussion on the number (of the poor), we risk manipulating reality, and reality is more important than the idea, this is what Pope Francis says".
Speaking to Radio Continental, Mgr. Ojea said: "we have no precise indicators, Caritas does not carry out surveys. We try to be close to our reality, what matters to us is to be close to the poor". In addition, "we are very concerned about the new poverty, because it concerns drug addiction, human trafficking and violence. In Buenos Aires there are young people who face social exclusion, unemployment, little education, serious family problems. It is a very worrying reality, this is where juvenile delinquency comes from". (CE) (Agenzia Fides 12/06/2015)