| Work Detail |
The cemetery of public works: 1,700 stopped projects and US$500 million invested that would come to nothing
Telenoche accessed the list of paralyzed works throughout the country. There are schools, hospitals and centers for vulnerable children that Alberto Fernándezs administration had to end and that, with the arrival of Javier Milei, have an uncertain future.
These days Argentina is a true cemetery of public works. The decision of Javier Mileis government to reduce the financing for the projects that remained in execution to zero means that thousands of constructions have been stopped, although, strictly speaking, this situation is not new.
It is as true that Milei decided to cut funds for public works as it is that many of these projects currently stopped should have been completed during Alberto Fernándezs administration, but suffered delays due to various inconveniences: from poor execution to lack of financing or problems with the price redeterminations due to the high inflation that hit the administration between 2019 and 2023.
In other words, public works in Argentina had been in a delicate situation since the end of Alberto Fernándezs administration, which worsened with the arrival of Milei to power.
As Telenoche learned by accessing official documentation, there are 1,700 public works that have a percentage of physical progress of less than 70%, which seriously endangers their future, since the Milei Government proposed, as a possibility, only finishing those that have remained above 80%.
The problem is not only that schools, hospitals, Child Development centers, among others, were abandoned, but that the National State invested thousands and billions of pesos in these unfinished works between 2019 and 2023. Money that could go to nothing.
Read also: Due to the adjustment, there are 550 public works that remain stopped and billions of pesos would be left in vain
The figure is shocking. TN verified that the former Ministry of Public Works during the administration of Gabriel Katopodis placed $167 billion in 1,700 works that were below 70%. Many of these with a very low percentage of physical progress: there are some that remained at 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50%, that is, they are far from being finished.
If an average exchange rate for 2023 is taken at $309, the State invested US$543,583,703 in works that could come to nothing.
The State invested US$543,583,703 in works that could come to nothing. Photo: Mario Peredo – Telenoche.
The State invested US$543,583,703 in works that could come to nothing. Photo: Mario Peredo – Telenoche.
Schools, hospitals and centers for children, the stories of the thousands of unfinished works
Telenoche toured some of the unfinished works that today are nothing more than enormous blocks of cement without protection and totally exposed to possible acts of vandalism and the natural deterioration that entails that those elements remain outdoors.
One of these stopped works is the Punta Indio Hospital. Alberto Fernándezs management faced the completion of this construction that began in 2012 and no government finished.
The work to finish the hospital started in March 2022 and was to be ready by January 2024, according to the deadlines accessed by this media. That is, it should have been practically finished by the time Milei came to power. But it was not like that.
Read also: The Government offers them works in exchange for support for the Omnibus Law, but more than a thousand will remain paralyzed
Alberto Fernándezs management left it at 20% physical progress; he invested $158 million there that could be lost today. The place is these days a white elephant without any type of protection. Anyone can come and go and even the passage of time is beginning to do its thing: there are water leaks in the ceilings, elements that are beginning to rust, and materials that could be stolen. In fact, neighbors reported strange movements and the theft of tiles.
This medium contacted the management of Mayor David Angueira, but so far has not received a response.
This is the abandoned work of the Punta Indio Hospital. Photo: Telenoche – Mario Peredo.
This is the abandoned work of the Punta Indio Hospital. Photo: Telenoche – Mario Peredo.
Telenoche also toured the streets of Moreno to learn the history of three Child Development Centers that were never completed and that should have been ready by January 2023, that is, several months before Mileis inauguration.
One of these is located in Paso del Rey. The work began in January 2022 and was to be completed a year later. It remained at 14% and $12 million was invested there. The last payment date was in August 2023. The same happened with the Falcón Álvarez CDI, in which $17 million was invested, but construction did not advance beyond 22%.
It is the same case as that of the San Enrique neighborhood. There they promised a CDI that would be able to be used by residents from January 2023. None of that happened. It remained at 36% and almost $17 million was invested.
One of Morenos CDIs is just the structure. There is nothing. Photo: Mario Peredo – Telenoche.
One of Morenos CDIs is just the structure. There is nothing. Photo: Mario Peredo – Telenoche.
The last stop on the Telenoche tour is the Berazategui technical school. Before getting into this story, a no small fact: Alberto Fernández had promised to build 100 of these and they finished only one. 1% of what was promised.
The one in the municipality led by Juan José Mussi began construction in January 2023, a year after the program was announced. It was to be ready on November 26, 2023, that is, during the term of Alberto Fernández. It remained at 40%. If this school is not completed, $400 million will have been invested for nothing.
Detail of the money invested in each type of work that remained at less than 70% of its physical progress
Miscellaneous works (CDI among others): $44,158,325,451
Transportation infrastructure works: $21,754,599,745
University works: $4,047,384,093
Hydraulic works: $420,371,751
Municipal works: $2,700,000,000
Rebuild (Housing): $94,886,683,294
At the moment it is not clear what the future of public works is in Argentina. Milei promised a public-private scheme that so far does not seem to have been implemented and as TN learned, based on official sources, it is not clear how it will be implemented.
The departure of the Minister of Infrastructure, Guillermo Ferraro, put that initiative on standby. It was he who insisted on taking it forward. Meanwhile, the country is a cemetery of public works that could cost Argentines more than 500 million dollars. |
