PASO 2021 elections: the emotion of an immigrant who voted for the first time after living half a century in Argentina

09/12/2021 17:13

• Clarín.com

• Society

Updated 9/12/2021 5:13 PM

Pedro Melonio

, 73, voted this Sunday for the

first time

in the country after having emigrated from Uruguay five decades ago, and although he never imagined it would be in the middle of a pandemic, he said it was

"very exciting"

and described himself as " grateful and happy. "

"It is an immense joy, when I put the envelope I almost dropped a tear," Pedro told the Télam agency at his polling place, the Álvarez Thomas School in the

Agronomía

neighborhood

.

"So many years here and just now, after fifty-odd years can I vote," said Pedro, who arrived in Argentina

on July 9, 1970

and began working as a car bodyworker.

This morning, when Pedro arrived at the school with his wife Gladys, he consulted the electoral roll from his cell phone when he scanned the poster with the QR code that was on the door of the establishment and was able to enter without queuing due to his age.

Pedro Melonio, 73, said it was "very exciting" and described himself as "grateful and happy."

Photo Télam

Although Pedro is exempt from voting, he indicated that he considers it "an obligation to choose those who govern us" and assured that

"democracy is everything

, there is no way to pay for it, I lived other times here too and they were hard."

In addition, the man remarked that "for many years I wanted to vote and could not, luckily this year it was possible."

Pedro is part of the

417,000 migrant people

who can participate in the elections in the City of Buenos Aires and are authorized to elect local candidates, that is, legislators and community members.

The registry that gathers them

grew 20 times in the last two years

, thanks to the fact that the Buenos Aires Legislature approved in 2018 the Electoral Code of the City of Buenos Aires that established the automatic registration of all and all migrants with permanent residence and this was implemented. anus.

Gladys Contreras Vidal, Pedro's wife, could not hide her excitement to accompany him.

"My husband wanted it so much," she

said as she waited on the school sidewalk for the man to come out of the dark room.

Gladys was born in Chile and came to Argentina at the age of three, so she assured that "being both foreigners and having this opportunity to vote in the country where one bet on everything, at work, to find a boyfriend, brings great happiness ".

"When I voted for the first time in 2015, I felt the same feeling that he feels because you wonder

why does everyone vote and we don't?

" Explained the woman who works as a domestic worker.

Pedro remembered that during all these years on election day he would go to the schools, look at the people and say "oh, how I can't be there."

For this reason, the man acknowledged that today he was "anxious" and woke up at five in the morning, although later he managed to "sleep a little more".

After breakfast, Pedro first accompanied his wife to vote and then they both went to Agronomy.

The couple met in 1978 when Gladys was employed in a bakery in Villa Pueyrredón and Pedro worked in a workshop on the way back.

"He was going to buy bills and I was cleaning a glass around there, and well, look goes, look comes ..." Gladys recalled.

"I spent a lot of money on bills," Pedro joked.

Since then the couple has remained together,

they married in 1982 and in 1984 their only son was born

.

"I would say that

I almost feel Argentine

, I got married here, I raised my family, I had a son," said Pedro and affirmed that "

I like everything

about Argentina

, the people and football

."

The man, a Racing fan, added that when he arrived in the country he adapted "right away" and they treated him "very well from the start".

"Today we are recognized to vote and we are grateful and happy to be in Argentina", completed Gladys.

When Pedro left school, he proudly wore the paper that gives proof of the casting of the vote and pointed out that, regarding his wishes for these elections, he is interested in the candidates prioritizing "safety and the salary issue, that there is work."

For the future of the country, he hopes that "the economy will start walking and it's going to start, it's a shame the pandemic that seized us. But we are going to move forward."

Source: Télam

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