Pope Francis expressed his "concern about the serious economic and social situation in Argentina." [View all]

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Speaking at the Santa Marta Residence in the Holy See, Pope Francis expressed his "concern about the serious economic and social situation prevailing in Argentina," especially from the "dismissal of public and private workers" and expressed support for the social movements of the world "as an important tool to exit the crisis in the economic system."

The pontiff made these remarks in an audience with Eduardo Murúa, president of the National Movement of Recovered Companies (worker-run co-ops whose former owners abandoned the firm), and Guillermo Robledo, president of the Hélder Cámara Movement for Peace between Religions and Peoples.

"Francis told us he was very concerned about the policies being applied today in Argentina because they exacerbate the problems of the poor and of workers," said Robledo. "We provided an overview of President Macri's austerity policies. We spoke of layoffs in the public sector as well as what was occurring in the private sector," said Murúa. "And we discussed our greatest concern, which is that Argentina is returning to a policy of foreign borrowing as the only way."

"We also discussed the implementation of repression on the part of the Macri government - and not so much toward opponents and towards the most impoverished sectors, where police repression is becoming tougher," he added.

"The Pope is very concerned about the Argentine people. He sees the Macri government as having a vindictive disposition, and as undermining unity and social peace," said Murúa.

Francis also drew a parallel with what happened after the bloody, right-wing coup against President Juan Domingo Perón in 1955. "You are very young and weren't there to see it," he told the activists, "but what is happening in Argentina is a kind of revenge towards the popular sectors and workers - as it was in 1955."

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