Confrontation between Milei's government and popular organizations over withheld food

by María Josefina Arce

For months there has been a confrontation between the Argentine government and social organizations over the withholding of food for soup kitchens that serve the neediest people, a number that has increased due to the continuous deterioration of the living conditions of Argentines, by the executive branch presided over by Javier Milei.

In recent days, the courts forced the authorities to detail the food distribution plan. The government appealed the ruling, but was defeated when its appeal was rejected by the Federal Administrative Court.

Last May, the Ministry of Human Capital admitted that there were about 5 million kilograms of food nearing their expiration date in government warehouses.

The authorities have given many excuses, such as the elimination of intermediaries, the poor quality of the products, or the reserve for possible tragedies.

This situation has led to several marches in the capital, Buenos Aires, and in other cities to demand the delivery of food to soup kitchens, which, according to surveys, have seen an increase in prosperity in the last semester.

Meanwhile, the economic policies implemented by Milei have increased the number of people who need this help every day to survive.

According to INDEC, the National Institute of Statistics and Census, more than 40% of the population is poor and about 12% are indigents, figures that are even more alarming for children.

In fact, hundreds of Argentine pediatricians have warned in recent days about the situation of children in the South American nation, a high percentage of whose full development is affected by living in poverty and suffering from hunger.

In an open letter, the specialists warned that if this situation continues, it will become a health tragedy. The children will suffer from nutritional deficiencies, tissue damage and damage to the central nervous system, they pointed out.

Experts highlight that for the most vulnerable, public policies make a difference, so if food does not reach the soup kitchens, the situation worsens significantly.

But Milei's government, whose unpopularity grows every day, continues with its economic policy that has led many Argentines to a condition of poverty and food insecurity.