Buenos Aires' Iconic Plaza de Mayo transforms into nighttime soup kitchen amidst soaring poverty rates
Argentina's renowned Plaza de Mayo square, historically a hub for celebrations and protests in Buenos Aires, has taken on a sombre role as a regular silent nighttime gathering point.
A growing number of people, affected by the country's poverty crisis, converge here in search of a warm meal.
With Argentina dealing with a staggering annual inflation rate of 124%, poverty levels have surged beyond 40%, raising the possibility of a seismic political shift in the upcoming general elections.
Standing in long queues in the central square, adjacent to the presidential palace Casa Rosada, Erica Maya, a 45-year-old widow with six children, shared her struggles. Despite labouring all day collecting cardboard, her earnings amount to a meagre 3,000-4,000 pesos, equivalent to just $4 in real exchange rates. She expressed to Reuters, "What do you do with that? Nothing. It's better and easier to come here, you eat better. You leave with a full belly and happy."
Official data for the first half of 2023 revealed that Argentina's poverty rate had soared to 40.1%, affecting nearly 12 million people, up from just over 39% at the end of the previous year.
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Eduardo Donza, representing the Social Debt Observatory of the Catholic University, emphasized the urgency of state policies that are both collaborative and aimed at boosting production and employment. He is quoted by Reuters saying, "We estimate the level of poverty in Argentina at 40% of the population. Otherwise, it is almost impossible for us to get out of this situation."
Many Argentines have resorted to informal jobs to supplement their meagre incomes as they struggle to make ends meet. Diego Ortiz, a 30-year-old, spoke of selling tortillas as a means of survival for his family and daughter. "I do this to feed my family, and it is a measure I took because it is difficult to get a job right now," he told Reuters.
