It is in a context of serious economic crisis, that the Argentinean deputies approved, Thursday, September 13, unanimously, a proposal of law of "emergency food" to allocate additional funds to the social programs in favor of the most deprived in the country. Presented by the opposition, the text must still be put to the vote of the Senate.
At seven weeks before the presidential election, this bill, which plans to double the funds allocated to food assistance programs to 8 billion pesos ($ 135 million), received the support of the 222 deputies.
"We are facing a problem of hunger, malnutrition and sharp drop in income," said deputy Daniel Arroyo, co-editor of the proposal and support of center-left candidate Alberto Fernandez, favorite of the presidential 27 October .
Demonstration in front of the Congress
Since Wednesday, thousands of members of social organizations have camped around Congress to demand that the government support social assistance programs.
The "food emergency" has existed in Argentina since 2002, when the country was experiencing the worst economic crisis in recent history. It must be voted on again periodically. The bill approved Thursday provides that it will be in force until December 2022.
The third largest economy in Latin America has been in recession since 2018, poverty affects 32% of the population, and the unemployment rate is 10%. The center-right president Mauricio Macri, who is seeking a second term, has recently declared a tax exemption on staple foods and an increase in certain wages, to try to alleviate the effects of inflation, one of the highest of the world (30% since early 2019).
With AFP