Ruptly
"In recent months, at least 50 care centres for people with disabilities in Argentina have been closed due to the lack of government funding, according to officials from the Day Centre (Cedime), as reported by local media. The closure is a result of the fiscal adjustment policy implemented by the Javier Milei government. Footage filmed on Monday at the Cedime headquarters in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires Province, shows various activities taking place on the premises. These include sports training sessions and music workshops for attendees. Raul Woites, president of Cedime, explained that the authorities provide payment of a fee for the services they offer as a centre for people with disabilities; however, 'that payment chain was cut, and that makes it impossible to survive'. "We have a very overdue debt that even if they paid it today, all of it, and it is very, very large, they do not update it; they do not pay interest, and obviously, with what I invoiced in 2024 and still have not been paid, today I can only buy an apple," Woites said. For her part, Silvana Llopiz, director of Cedime, said the decision is 'terrible' because in the centre people 'do activities to keep themselves from deteriorating so fast'. "At some point I feel that what this government wants is for disabled people to stay at home like in the Middle Ages, hidden, and not be shown, and that it is a terrible step backwards," she added. With delays in payments to centres by the government, some of them have been forced to gradually cut services, reducing operating days. According to Flavia Medina, her daughter can now only attend Cedime twice a week, which has affected her emotional state. "Mistreatment is the right word; it is mistreatment. It is not thinking about us or seeing our children as people, as subjects," the woman said. The closures reportedly take place in the context of the government of Javier Milei sending a bill to Congress that modifies the National Emergency Law on Disability. The bill includes measures such as mandatory re-registration, changes to funding for services, and the removal of labour rights for people with disabilities."
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