A country on the edge of the abyss
20 years ago, Argentina suffered one of the worst economic crises in modern history. Now the country is once again heading for collapse. What’s going on?
The queue is a little longer each week: helpers in a soup kitchen in Buenos Aires hand out free lentil soup in plastic containers.
Photo: Natasha Pisarenko (AP/Keystone)
It’s Tuesday again, and so Estella Moreno patiently stands in front of a soup kitchen run by a local organization in downtown Buenos Aires. Moreno is 76 years old, his hair is white, but his little cart is brimming with color: tiny, red, yellow, blue flowers. Alone: She hadn’t been in a real supermarket for long, she said. “What should I do there? I can no longer bear all the beautiful things on the shelves.”
Moreno himself was a saleswoman in a shoe store. But the pension you get is not enough. “That’s why I come here every week for a free meal.” Every week, the queue at the soup kitchen gets a little longer, Moreno says.
“Alcohol buff. Troublemaker. Introvert. Student. Social media lover. Web ninja. Bacon fan. Reader.”