Argentineans Demand Food Emergency be Declared

For the second consecutive day, representatives of several social organizations this Friday gathered in areas surrounding the Argentine Ministry of Social Development to demand that a food emergency be declared.

After a session held on Thursday lasting over three hours, the Chamber of Deputies approved a bill in this regard with 222 votes in favor and one abstention. The bill will be subject to debate in the Senate next week, and the organizations warn that they will continue struggling for it to be passed because ‘this emergency cannot wait.’

Since the early hours, another group of protesters moved along the Pueyrredon bridge towards the ministry, where protesters have camped for 48 hours despite the prevailing cold.

Although they have already been received by officials of that Ministry, led by Minister Carolina Stanley, movements such as Barrios de Pie stress that there are so far no concrete answers to their demands that include, among other things, guaranteeing food for popular soup kitchens for those who do not have enough to eat , and strengthening social welfare plans.

The protest organizers said early Friday that they will remove the camp, but threatened to stage another 72-hour protest next week.

From a platform located at 9 de Julio Avenue and Belgrano Street, surrounded by security forces, Barrios de Pie representative Silvia Saravia said that there is great uncertainty and the movement will continue protesting in the streets, while announcing that they will hold assemblies as of Saturday throughout the country to inform of their plan of struggle for next week.