SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 15 Oct. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The general secretary of the Popular Party of the Canary Islands and spokesperson for Social Rights of the Popular Group in the autonomous Parliament, Poli Suárez, has demanded the autonomous government of Ángel Víctor Torres to urgently address the serious situation of the thousands of Canarians who are at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
“The Canary Islands must leave, once and for all, the podium of honor among the autonomous communities with the largest population living at risk,” he said.
According to the popular representative, the conclusions of the recent AROPE report, prepared by the delegation of the European Network for the Fight against Poverty and Social Exclusion of the Canary Islands (EAPN), “cannot leave anyone indifferent, much less those who have the responsibility of the Government to put a stop to and solve a situation that is not new, which is taking its toll on thousands of Canarians who observe how their reality worsens day by day,” Suárez said.
According to the Arope report, the Canary Islands is the third community in all of Spain, behind Andalusia and Extremadura, with the largest population at risk of poverty, the first in people living in households with low employment intensity and the first, also, in people with severe social material deprivation. The dossier also points to the elderly, young women and children as the most disadvantaged groups.
Poli Suárez wanted to recall that all the reports in recent months have coincided in warning about the scenario that the Island has: “Although it is true that in global terms, the percentage of people at risk of poverty and/or social exclusion has decreased in 1.3 points compared to 2020, the data continues to be worrying, and in the face of this, firm action must be taken to remedy the social drama that the Canary Islands are experiencing.
“Much more is needed than regrets, announcements of long-term projects, social shields that do not respond to reality and solutions whose only fruit is to offer a headline. Immediate action must be taken, with effective measures and with authentic responsibility,” he added.
In this sense, the general secretary of the PP in the Islands insisted that “we cannot let another minute go by, it is time to join forces together in order to move forward, to protect the most vulnerable people in our society, and create the mechanisms that allow its citizens to be removed from possible situations of poverty and social exclusion”, he concluded.
