“Stop stealing in the north” was the heartfelt request expressed by the rector of the Virgen de la Peña shrine, Father Fray Rubén Sica, OFM, in his homily last Sunday, February 16, referring to the situation of the inhabitants of the north, currently in a social and health emergency due to the death of children in the area, the floods that have destroyed hundreds of families in the San Martín department and the roadblocks of the National Route 34 due to the overflow of the small rivers in the area, reported Fides News Agency.

The Franciscan priest referred to the current difficult situation in the north, which adds to the chronic lack of essential services such as water and electricity. “We live in an area with a subtropical climate with heavy rains, but we certainly live in another province, because the reality is that we are not part of the Salta province that everyone knows,” he complained.

“It seems incredible that a single rain has provoked all this: people evacuated, inhabited areas flooded. In the north, if it rains or does not rain it is the same because we do not have drinking water, energy is interrupted for hours and our hospitals are devastated. In order to go to the doctor we have to travel 400 kilometers to the capital because there are no professionals here, and better not to mention the Chaco Salteño,” said the Franciscan.

“How long will we have to live like this?” asked the priest, who continued: “This area has the resources of hydrocarbons, agriculture and timber. We are abandoned and there is no investment in this area.”

The priest then turned to the authorities: “This area was rich in the period before the privatizations, but you impoverished it, with the aggravating factor that we cannot move to another place because here we have work, home or simply our roots and our family history.”

Due to the floods and consequent floods recorded in different locations in the province of Salta, Caritas Argentina has put in place its immediate assistance mechanisms in the face of climatic emergencies and the volunteer teams are working directly with the affected families.

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