Covid-19: plunged into precariousness, many Chileans go to soup kitchens

Text by: Justine Fontaine Follow

The Americas are now the main global focus of the coronavirus pandemic. And among them Chile is facing a very strong increase in new cases. The death toll has now reached 944 and contamination has reached 90,638, according to the latest official figures. In this context, confinement is in place throughout Greater Santiago, whose hospitals are almost saturated. Measures that have pushed the precariousness of many Chileans, to the point of participating in manifestations of hunger in recent days. Report on a soup kitchen in the suburbs of Santiago.

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From our correspondent in Santiago,

"  How many servings?" It is for three people.  In this district of El-Bosque, one of the poorest municipalities in greater Santiago, a very large casserole dish of beef and vegetable stew simmers in the courtyard of a house.

Gonzalo, in his forties, came to get food for himself and his family. He lost his job as a welder a month ago because of the containment measures. "  The construction sector is stopped everywhere here, I can't do much at this stage ," he says. So this initiative is of great help !  "

The government has voted several emergency aids since the start of the epidemic, but Gonzalo has yet to receive anything. So here many understand that residents of the town demonstrated last week for want of enough food.

"  Since the containment started in certain communes, the fight against hunger began and to help the people we organize soup kitchens in several communes. It's very sad to see that people have to fight to keep their dignity,  ”says Stephanie Ortiz, 26, one of the organizers of this soup kitchen.

In recent days, the police have evacuated several soup kitchens in Santiago, because of the ban on street rallies.

In El-Bosque, the neighbors use masks and gloves to prepare food. And they wash their hands regularly, to try to minimize the risk of contagion.

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