The
economic crisis that some European countries went through at the end of the
last decade was the result of serious problems in the financial, real estate,
and production areas. In Spain, for example, it was a situation comparable to
the years after the Second World War, with a very high number of unemployed and
a government that was not in a position to combat these problems. However, a
recent report by the World Bank shows that several countries in Latin America
and the Caribbean are still immersed in an alarming reality, with a high level
of poverty in rural areas.
The last
report of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
describes an increase in poverty and extreme poverty in the region since 2014.
Until that date, poverty had decreased gradually since 2002. Nevertheless, that
trend has changed in recent years. 186 million people are living in poverty in
the region. ECLAC points out that this figure represents 30.7% of the
population, an increase of 1% compared to the previous year.
As
demonstrated in the report of ECLAC, the causes of poverty at the individual
level are related to the aptitudes and opportunities that each individual has
to guarantee their basic needs. With this in mind, governments should promote
the implementation of decent jobs with adequate remuneration, so that people
affected by poverty can cover aspects such as food, shelter, education, and
health.
As can be
seen in this post, there are many statistics and data on this problem, but in
reality, it is not statistics that will solve the problem. Furthermore, studies conducted by
UNICEF suggest that more than a third of the population in Africa dies because
of hunger. Situation that seems very far from our region, but if poverty
continues increasing, it would be something that could happen.
As a summary, it is
important that in Latin America and the Caribbean efforts and resources be
devoted to combating inequality, beyond interpreting numbers on poverty levels
and concentrating on the public debate about it. Economic growth must be
accompanied by policies focused on social justice where all people can access
basic needs and have the opportunity to move forward.
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