The initiative, driven by pedagogue Heike Freire, has focused on the collection of signatures over the past month. Its first result is a letter addressed this Wednesday by the Spanish Government President Pedro Sánchez and the Minister of Health, Salvador Illa. The main reason is to break with the “total invisibility” that the government “is showing” towards the rights and needs of children and adolescents, and to adopt the position of many other countries around us.

Children and adolescents, at the same level as adults, are also citizens. That is why they say that the Spanish Government cannot ignore and does not take children into account in the decisions and policies it takes.

They state in the letter that the severe confinement they are suffering for almost a month does not allow children to meet their vital, physical, psycho-emotional, social, moral and educational needs, which can jeopardize their well-being, their health and their physical and psychological development.

That is why the more than 45,000 people who have signed the request so far, as well as some 300 professionals, have asked the Spanish Government:

• That children and adolescents be recognized as subjects and citizens in the laws related to the state of alarm.
• Recognize the rights and needs of children, in particular their outdoor presence, by taking concrete measures in cases of risk and vulnerability.
• That neighbouring countries take similar measures as soon as possible so that families wishing to do so can go outdoors with their children at least one hour a day, as recommended by the WHO, in an orderly manner and without endangering public health.

The Minister of Health says the priority will be for children

Minister of Health, Salvador Illa, spoke about the transition of containment measures, but insisted that the children's collective is a priority for the public health working group. The girl said they are aware that a four-week lockdown has negative effects on their health.