“You Heard It on No Te Duermas”
On the No Te Duermas program, Teresa Aiello, a candidate for the position of People’s Defender of La Matanza, was interviewed. Teresa discussed her candidacy, her initiatives, what motivated her to run, and her plans for the office, stating: “I ran in 2020 with an innovative project for the People’s Defender that really excited me, and now I want to run again,” Teresa explained.
“What drives me is over fifty years of community work in the district, and seeing that the current People’s Defender’s office works very well and is well-directed, but it’s strictly an administrative office where residents have to go. I think the People’s Defender should be decentralized—not with buildings, but with concrete actions in different areas,” she added.
Continuing in this line, she said: “In the school system, we need children and teenagers to know their rights and understand them, with internships in various institutions and places, and to work with senior citizens’ centers.” She also stated: “The People‘s Defender should be in retirement homes dealing with health issues.”
The Issue of Pensions for Retirees
“Retirees face many problems with their health insurance, and the People’s Defender should be more attentive to these issues,” she noted.
Disability Issues
She further added: “Especially now with all the challenges in the area of disability, I know a lot about senior citizens, disability, health, and community and school-based prevention work.”
“If we are not involved in the school system, with senior citizens, with families, and if the People’s Defender doesn’t work on health issues, like when utilities like electricity, gas, and phone services are cut, they are not fulfilling the function that is needed in the community,” she emphasized.
“This project was something I presented in 2020; it’s divided by sectors and includes a program, a project. It’s not that I’m just running because I feel like it,” she added. “There will be a ‘Pre’ office, a medical and technical council for prevention and assistance,” she explained.
Proposed Projects
Highlighting some of her proposed projects, she said: “A territorial mailbox for anonymous complaints regarding national, provincial, and municipal institutions, and a radio program,” adding, “The town should be present on all radio programs, which are excellent and broadcast across the district, to inform people, provide addresses, phone numbers, and ensure people know there’s a space for them, since not everyone has access to Gmail or the internet,” Teresa emphasized.
“The idea was to present myself and showcase these documented projects. Besides my professional studies, I am a technician in addiction prevention and assistance,” she stated. “It’s a tertiary program with a degree from Deusto University in Bilbao, Spain, which gave me extensive knowledge in territorial work and preventive programs,” she underscored.
Her Motivation to Run Again
Teresa Aiello also admitted: “After the elections, whether I win or lose, I want someone to take on this project, so we can support it voluntarily. It’s not about the financial aspect; it’s about the people of Matanza, which is so vast, and there are so many resources that people are unaware of,” she criticized.
“The goal of the People’s Defender is to reach the neighborhoods, to those places where people have to walk seventeen blocks to reach the road to catch a bus,” she continued. “That was my idea, but it wasn’t taken up. Territorial work is not understood. It’s not easy; it requires teams, territorial operators who care about walking through vulnerable neighborhoods, speaking with, and being with the people who truly need the Defender’s office,” she elaborated.
Lack of Recognition
Teresa Aiello highlighted the recognition she has received from the community, noting: “The municipal government has never called me, and they have never given me recognition for my career and work.” The recognition, she clarified, “has always come from the people, from the people I help. I’ve been working in social development for thirty-six years, as part of planning.”
“Six years ago, due to a restructuring of the same department, I was sent to set up an office in Catán and another in Ramos Mejía to address disability issues,” she added. “I’ve been doing this work for five years now, and I’ve learned a lot about neglect and how disability services are in an emergency state in our country,” she explained, adding, “This, even more so, motivated me to run again.”
Challenges Facing the Community
“Seeing the despair of neighbors who can’t pay their rent, who can’t renew their leases, because they might be able to pay for the month, but not to move in again—that’s what pushed me to run again,” she criticized.
She continued, “In Matanza, we may have some disorganization, but in this area, all non-contributory pensions have been given with medical oversight, because we have forensic doctors and a health board that works exceptionally well in public health in Matanza.”
“People with Down syndrome, neighbors who are missing a limb—what’s happening is terrible. The People’s Defender should be there with the banners, supporting these issues, and I don’t see that happening,” she emphasized.
Her Commitment to the People of Matanza
“I wasn’t going to run again. I’m 65; I should have retired. But I have a community responsibility; I’m from the town, and I’ve been working for the people of Matanza for fifty years. That’s why I decided to run again.”
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