On the morning of June 4, television channels broadcast, as if it were a national broadcast, images of Army trucks removing, and then delivering to the Conin Foundation, a very small part of the almost 6 million kilos of food that it keeps stored in two warehouses, Villa Adelina (Buenos Aires province) and Tafí del Valle (Tucumán).
On that occasion, the amount distributed was a little more than 460,000 kilos of powdered milk that was about to expire. A month has passed since that over-dispensing and everything remains the same. The food is still not being delivered and those who keep these soup kitchens alive are increasingly juggling to continue feeding people in a country where poverty is growing at alarming levels.
The Left Daily He spoke with workers from various soup kitchens in different parts of the country. Vanesafrom the dining room “Building the Future”from Villa 20 in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Lugano, describes the show put on by Petovello as “a disgrace.” “We didn’t get any of that, the only one who received any merchandise, and not even all of it (because it was milk that was about to expire) went to the CONIN Foundation of Albino, coordinated by Abel Albino who at the time had declared that he had an expensive hobby: feeding poor children.” Another disgrace. “We give out 700 rations, of which 500-550 are for children and the rest are mostly for women. Although recently many men who have lost their jobs have come forward.”
“How do they survive?” is the obligatory question. “We organize ourselves with donations and activities that take place in the neighborhoods, such as bingo, raffles and collections. There is a spirit of solidarity among the families in the neighborhoods themselves, so that each one can contribute a little.”
In San Roqueprovince of Mendozathere is the dining room “Constructing dreams”. The land of Albino y CONI and the area that received the largest amount of merchandise. “We feed 40 children and 15 women. We deliver around 90 portions between children and grandparents. We did not receive any of the merchandise that was supposedly sent, the way in which it was distributed is very inadequate. The situation we are in is terrible. We do not receive any help, it is all based on joint work with colleagues, it is all done by hand,” she says. Marina.
In Albardonprovince of San Juanthere is the picnic area Happy facesThere, 10 women and 60 children come and hand out more than 60 portions. “None of the merchandise from Pettovello has arrived here. The situation is terrible, there is a lot of poverty. They are not giving us any help, we each save a little to be able to continue giving out the snack,” says Ester.
From the province of The Rioja We receive the testimony of María from the picnic area Happy heart“78 families came, more than 150 children and 70 women. Around 200 portions of snacks were delivered. None of the merchandise distributed by Pettovello arrived either. We have not received anything for a year. We continue to make snacks thanks to the collective work of all those who make up our Snack Bar and that is how we get ahead.”
Faced with a “situation that overwhelms us and hurts us,” he tells us that they had to make a drastic decision: “we went from having snacks three times a week to once.” A decision that they had to make in many other canteens.
The picnic area “Sweet hope” It is located in Currents“Approximately 60 families attend, including about 100 children, 27 single women or single mothers and between 15 and 22 elderly adults. We have not received anything for 9 months. We are seeing more and more families in need of food and the situation is very difficult to sustain.”
In Formosawho maintain the snack bar “Painted hands”They say that “we had 5 soup kitchens and we had to close due to lack of merchandise. Currently we rotate the delivery between two neighborhoods because there are many families. Not even a kilo of milk arrived. The situation we are in is inhumane.”
At the picnic area Angel Facein Missionsthey have also not received anything for 9 months. “80 children, 15 elderly people and 10 single mothers come here and we have not received anything, which is very unfair. They are depriving us of a few kilos of milk that is of no use to the government. They are not starving, but for people who do not have anything to eat it is a great help.”
“The million dollar question is where did that merchandise go,” they ask at the snack bar. “Ray of sunshine” in Hot Springs in Jujuy“We in the province have also been suffering persecution of social and union organizations.”
In Salta, the “Rayo Mc Queen” snack bar has also been “for 9 to 10 months without receiving anything.” We are delivering the snack once a week and we do everything on a first-come, first-serve basis. We make ends meet by selling pasn, empanadas or some raffle.”
As we see, the no food delivery to eaters It comes from a long time agosince the previous management of the Front of All (con Alberto Fernandez as President and Victoria Tolosa Paz as Minister of Social Development). Something that was denounced and demanded in the streets by social organizations and always made visible through this medium.
Added to this is the fact that poverty and hunger have worsened this year, and the income of those who benefit from social programs has deteriorated dramatically. The adjustment and punishment of the poorest is criminal, There is no other word to define it.
But it is also criminal passivity with which the trade union centers They are acting above all on Milei’s war plan, the latest chapter of which is a new round of layoffs in key areas of the State, such as the Posadas Hospital and Memorial spaces.
More than ever, it is urgent that the withheld food, which is also due to the soup kitchens, be distributed. We must unite all the demands and fight the ongoing adjustment and stop the adjustment plan at the service of big business and the IMF.
Source: www.laizquierdadiario.com
