Days after the Argentine Government announced the placement of a fence on the border with Bolivia, the Episcopal Commission of the Pastoral of Migrants and Itinerant in Argentina spoke in defense of those who arrive from other countries “seeking to live dignity”, and said that In migrants “we can see the face of God.”
Within the framework of the “Güemes” of the National Government, and with the aim of strengthening control to combat drug trafficking and smuggling, a fence will be built in the border city of Aguas Blancas, in the province of Salta (Argentina), where Every day there are numerous illegal crosses to and from Bolivia.
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The measure has the purpose of “channeling border control” to offer “a safer environment for all,” argued the governor of Salta (Argentina), Gustavo Sáenz, in Your X accountand is part of the aforementioned plan, launched in December jointly by the national and provincial government.
Before the announcement of this measure, and “in times where the public word has the power to build or divide”, the Pastoral of migrants He reaffirmed his commitment “to a world in which each person is valued in his dignity and in his right to be who he is.”
“No expression that promotes exclusion, inequality or contempt for those who think, feel or live differently build the future we long for,” he says in a statement.
“God’s love is not selective or exclusive. He hugs us all, without distinctions, and calls us to recognize in every human being a brother, a sister, someone worthy of respect and care, ”he adds.
It also reaffirms its closeness and accompaniment “to each person who has left their country of origin, who reaches our territory or that of other countries seeking to live with dignity. Each of them carries with it a story, a longing, a hope, and deserves to be received with dignity and respect. ”
“The migration world offers us the opportunity to see the brother who thinks, feels, lives and acts differently, but at the same time is an equal dignity and rights as a person,” says the statement.
In that sense, it emphasizes that “in migrants we can see the face of God, and we are called by Him to love all people in all diversities. Looking at migrants, we can see all the pluralities with which we can live, share and grow. ”
Finally, he addresses “those who believe in the construction of a more human and fraternal world”, encouraging that “let’s not stop responding with love, let’s not stop tending bridges where it is disqualified because the other thinks or is different. We insist on building from love and social friendship, because only then can we move towards a future where no one is discarded. ”
Given the questions about the measure, Adrián Zigarán, Aguas Blancas, in dialogue with Radio Mitre He referred to the “lack of control” existing on the border, with about 15,000 illegal crosses per day.
The wiring, 200 meters long and 2.5 meters high, will be built from the municipality’s bus terminal to the offices of the National Migration Directorate, to strengthen the control, and avoid the crossing and illegal activities, he said .
About the Güemes Plan, of which this project is part, from the Ministry of Security of the Nation They assured that it is “a historical measure to combat federal crimes on the northern border of Salta, with focus on the departments of Oran and Aguas Blancas, strategic areas connected with Bolivia.”
The plan, which also includes the militarization of the border, “is the only way to win this war without a quarter against crime,” they said.
For its part, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, when the announcement of the construction of the fence was known, express “Concern” and considered that “border issues must be treated through bilateral dialogue mechanisms” to coordinate solutions.
“Any unilateral measure can affect the good neighborhood and peaceful coexistence between brothers peoples,” he warned.
Julieta Villar
I am a journalist, a graduate in Communication from the National University of La Matanza in Argentina. I have work experience in non -governmental organizations. Since 2016 I dedicate myself to Catholic journalism, first in the Argentine Catholic Information Agency (AICA) and, since 2022, as a correspondent for ACI Press for Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Bolivia.