ESTEBAN BULLRICH

When former senator and father of five Esteban Bullrich was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), he and his family began to witness how the nervous disease gradually impaired his mobility and communication. However, despite the fact that his irreversible condition was extremely trying, he has always been resilient. He agreed to be interviewed by CNN to explain his predicament and, because he wasn’t able to speak clearly, the screen showed a transcript of what he said. He was at times overcome with emotion but he was able to handle the interview with confidence, sparking inspiration among viewers.

The disease is devastating but it has proved to be a blessing in disguise: not only has it raised people’s awareness of this type of disease but it has also encouraged Mateo Salvato, the 23-year-old Argentine freelance robotics expert , to come up to Esteban and provide him with the Hablale (“Talk to it”) application so that he can communicate. This action turned out to be a miracle for Esteban and for science as Mateo is known to have designed the application not because he is money-oriented but because he is the type of entrepreneur who wants to bring technology and ethics together so that they don’t go separate ways.

Esteban Bullrich may be speech-impaired but his mind is as agile as ever. Gabriela Cerrutti, the presidential spokesperson, made the outrageous statement that the stones left by the bereaved families to honour Covid-19 victims belonged to the right. Bullrich did not remain tight-lipped: “I experience a feeling of second-hand guilt, sadness and rage,” he said, adding that the statement shows the current administration to be the worst we have ever had.

Adrian Insaubralde, Santa Fe