“Not because of having a disability one is condemned”

Ecuadornews:

Lenin Moreno met with the brigade members of Las Manuelas, to whom he asked them to continue with their work. His wife, he said, is not the first lady in the country. President Lenin Moreno criticized the lack of sensitivity of former President Rafael Correa regarding people with disabilities. This was indicated during the dialogue he had with representatives of the Las Manuelas mission, this Monday, July 9, in the north center of Quito.

It is another reaction to the statements of Correa in an interview on June 24 at eldiario.es of Spain. “Sometimes, people who have suffered a tragedy like the one he suffered (…) have a bitterness, a frustration with life, a frustration towards others who have not suffered this misfortune, who when they have power deform that bitterness “, He indicated in reference to Moreno.

The President replied that the only thing people with disabilities require is to be treated as equals. “Not because of having a disability one is condemned to be bitter,” he said. “(Correa) received visits from the Manuela Espejo mission, also accompanied (in the process). We are worried that he will use concepts like that.”

Surrounded by 200 brigade members, Moreno gave the answer to the former president’s position: to work “in a better way” in favor of people with disabilities. “The sick person is not the person with disabilities but the society that did not know, in the historical evolution, to give an answer so that these people have the same opportunities,” he said.

Moreno criticized that when he was special envoy of the Secretary General of the United Nations Organization for Disability and Accessibility, Correa and his vice president Jorge Glas abandoned the Manuela Espejo mission. During that time, he said, “a program that the Government had to identify via satellite if people with disabilities were served by the State.

Moreno called on society, especially men to be sensitive and support children who have a disability. He was outraged by this fact, so he reflected that the people who do that deserve jail. “I do not like to see people imprisoned, but believe me, some satisfaction I do have.”

Role of Rocío de Moreno

Rocío González de Moreno does not like to be called “First Lady”, the President acknowledged. “Here in Ecuador, all the ladies are first class. She is the President’s wife and she wanted to help me, that’s why I named her, without a salary, president of the “Whole Life” Program.

In his dialogue, he clarified that his wife also leads the Las Manuelas mission. “The Manuelas (brigadistas) deserve all the respect because being a Manuela means being a supportive person, who loves people who are suffering from some discrimination and who are in charge of solving their problems,” he said.

In that line González de Moreno said that during this Government people with disabilities are not alone. Highlighted the commitment of the ministries and secretariats of State to work towards that goal. Help for 53.00 people with disabilities So far, Las Manuelas have helped 53,000 people with disabilities in 77 cantons of the country (20 provinces).

However, the goal until the end of the year is to serve 70,000 households. It is expected that in October, the mission will intervene in Galapagos, where at least 250 people with disabilities, especially physical ones, have been identified. Lía Salcedo, brigade member of Zone 5, explained that they travel the country with technical aids, such as bonuses and housing. He said that in addition to helping the person, family attention is also provided. “Being in the territory, being able to help, is a unique satisfaction”. (I)

Source: https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/politica/3/lasmanuelas-moreno-correa-discapacidades