AMERICA/ARGENTINA - "We talk a lot about poverty, but we spend little time with the poor," Caritas outraged by the President’s words

Buenos Aires (Agenzia Fides) - "There is much talk of poverty, but we spend little time with the poor," says Mgr. Oscar Ojea Quintana, Bishop of San Isidro and President of Caritas Argentina, responding to journalists with regards to the statement of Argentine President during his recent visit in Haiti, who declares that there is "real poverty" in the Caribbean country, and not in Argentina. These statements generated discomfort in the Catholic Church in Argentina.
"The situation in Haiti is terrible, it is painful, extreme, but we must admit that we have a lot of poverty in Argentina," said the Bishop during a press conference for the presentation of the Caritas campaign which takes place this weekend across the Country, entitled "Main goal: Zero Poverty".
Msg. Ojea also called "not to forget" that Argentina "is one of the Countries with greater social inequality in Latin America." He added: "Inflation affects the poorer strata of the population, because the salary is meager and not enough."
According to the latest study by the Social Catholic University of Argentina, nearly 5 million children are poor and 800,000 are very poor, that is to say they do not have the means to meet their basic needs. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 07/06/2013)