Founded in 1956, this center is the only one in La Matanza that provides free care to people with motor disabilities. Today, the building in which it operates is on the verge of judicial auction. Next Friday, a symbolic embrace of the institution will be held.
The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Center (CEMEFIR), located on Peru Street 2433 in San Justo, is facing a critical situation that could culminate in its definitive closure. Founded in 1956, this center is the only one in La Matanza that provides free care to people with motor disabilities, offering essential services such as kinesiology, speech therapy, occupational therapy, psychology, psychopedagogy and social work.
However, despite almost seven decades of service, the institution is on the verge of judicial auction of its property, which would put an end to the treatment of numerous patients and directly affect the workers of the center, who could be referred to other institutions.
The CEMEFIR crisis has roots dating back to 2012, when poor administrative management generated a considerable debt with local merchants and businessmen. In 2015, the Civil and Commercial Court of First Instance No. 1, headed by Judge Laura Mato, ordered the auction of the property.
Founded in response to the polio epidemic that hit the country, this center is the only one of its kind in the La Matanza district and serves patients without resources or social coverage.
“If the auction of the building takes place, the thousands of patients who are treated there will be left adrift. At one time, it treated about 500 patients per day, around 10 thousand per month, from different places in the district and surrounding areas,” sources linked to the institution told NCO two weeks ago. In addition, the center’s workers also fear for their future employment.
A long-standing conflict
The origin of the crisis dates back to the management of Dr. Diego Viola as president of the CEMEFIR Cooperativa in 2012. During his mandate, a call center was installed in the institution without adequate supervision and irregular financial operations were carried out, such as the issuance of “flying checks” that were rejected by the banks. This generated a considerable debt, affecting merchants and businessmen of San Justo.
One of the main victims, Alberto José Crócamo, acquired the rejected checks and became the main creditor of the cooperative. With this position, he managed to mortgage the facilities of the center and initiate legal actions to execute the auction.
“I am not interested in the auction of the building, but in collecting the debt,” said Crócamo. CEMEFIR’s debt is around 400 thousand dollars, while the real estate value of the building is estimated between 2 and 4 million dollars, which could result in a lucrative business for the successful bidder of the auction.
The expropriation law: a solution on hold
In December 2021, the Provincial Legislature approved Law 15318, which declared the expropriation of the property for reasons of public utility. According to Article 2 of the law, the building would be transferred to the Municipality of La Matanza to guarantee the continuity of CEMEFIR’s activities. However, despite the fact that the law established a three-year period to carry out the expropriation,
this period will expire in February 2025 without significant progress.
Judge Laura Mato, in charge of the Civil and Commercial Court of First Instance No. 1, has reclassified the file, considering that the expropriation terms have expired, and has ordered a judicial auction of the property located at Perú 2433, San Justo.
An unanswered question
It has been 12 years since the beginning of this conflict and three years since the promulgation of the expropriation law, but the only physical health and rehabilitation center for the most vulnerable sectors of La Matanza remains on the verge of closing. Given this situation, a crucial question arises: What measures will Mayor Fernando Espinoza take to prevent thousands of Matanza residents from being left without care and workers from losing their source of income?
The community expects answers and concrete actions to preserve a space that, for more than 60 years, has been synonymous with hope and rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, on Friday, January 10, a solidarity embrace will be held for the institution, located at Perú 2433, at 10:00 a.m. under the slogan “No to the auction of CEMEFIR.” The workers invite the entire community to join the initiative.
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