In the framework of the “Dialogues for Change with the Grupo de Puebla”, the three political leaders met today, virtually, to discuss basic income as an instrument to rebuild the social structure of Latin America, which has been strongly affected by the measures intended to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus in the region.
Former President of Colombia Ernesto Samper stated that “an exit to the crisis could be to establish a basic income, which would offer immediate and permanent help, in cash, to those most affected by the crisis. It would be a relief to guarantee the survival of those benefited by it and, once the Covid-19 crisis has passed, it should be a starting point for focused social programs that would operate in each country according to its needs.
Former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, for her part, remembered the programs to overcome poverty that took place during her government and the government of former President Lula, also a member of the Grupo de Puebla, which helped 23 million Brazilians get out of poverty. Likewise she talked about the close relationship between basic income and access to education, healthcare and social services, while emphasizing on the importance of formal jobs, with all the benefits that it entails.
Mexican deputy Mario Delgado, who expressed his joy for participating in the encounter, added that the progressive government of his country has allocated resources to fulfill the needs of those most vulnerable, which are delivered in a focused way and attending to the needs of each person.
This is the third edition of the “Dialogues for Change of the Grupo de Puebla”, spaces that seek to generate audacious progressive solutions to the crisis experienced by the Latin American countries.