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Montevideo merchants demand "radical solutions" for street population, not "patches," and call for housing plan
🇺🇾 Uruguay /Culture & Society

Montevideo merchants demand "radical solutions" for street population, not "patches," and call for housing plan

From El País · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Merchants in Montevideo's Centro, Cordón, and Ciudad Vieja districts are demanding radical solutions to the growing problem of people living on the streets.
  • They report significant negative impacts on commercial activity, including obstructed access to stores and fear among employees.
  • Merchants criticize current government strategies and budgets, arguing they are temporary fixes that fail to address the root causes, and call for housing plans.

A delegation representing nearly 300 businesses in Montevideo's Centro, Cordón, and Ciudad Vieja neighborhoods has urgently appealed to Parliament for "radical" and "fundamental" solutions to the escalating issue of people living on the streets. The merchants argue that the current situation is severely impacting commercial activity, causing significant deterioration.

The merchant arrives at his local and finds people who sometimes prevent him from passing, because they are sleeping on the street.

— Armando LitvanVice president of Grupo Centro, describing the impact of the street population on businesses.

Armando Litvan, vice president of the Grupo Centro association, detailed the problems faced by businesses and residents. He described scenarios where people sleeping on the streets impede access to shops, leading to a decline in customers. Furthermore, employees, particularly women, report feeling intimidated and fearful, with some refusing to work after dark due to safety concerns.

Litvan criticized the government's approach, stating that "no fundamental solutions have been achieved" as the situation persists. He noted that while police may remove individuals, they often return quickly because their actions do not constitute a serious offense, and many refuse to use available shelters. This, he argued, results in temporary measures rather than lasting solutions.

The public does not access; the personnel who work there often feel intimidated; the female staff of some companies say: 'We no longer work after six in the evening, because we are afraid, when it gets dark, to pass through an area where there are people on the street, who we sometimes assume are drugged or not drugged, but it turns out to be threatening.'

— Armando LitvanDetailing the fear and intimidation experienced by employees due to the presence of people living on the streets.

The merchants also questioned the effectiveness of the state's budget allocated to address homelessness, citing figures between $70 million and $90 million annually spent by various ministries. They believe these substantial funds have not resolved the core problem. The delegation emphasized the need for "radical, fundamental solutions, not patches, not temporary solutions," and called for housing plans, which they identified as the primary focus in other cities facing similar challenges.

radical, fundamental solutions, not patches, not temporary solutions

— Armando LitvanDemanding a more effective approach from the government to address homelessness.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El País in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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