Argentina: Minister raises a kilometer-long queue

With a supposed appeal to starving people, an Argentine minister sparked a queue nearly two kilometers long in front of her ministry. Hundreds of people lined up in the capital, Buenos Aires, on Monday, in front of the official residence of Liberal President Javier Miley's Minister of Social Policy, Sandra Pitofilo. The “hunger queue” extended to about 30 buildings.

The starting point was the statements the minister made last week after demonstrators in front of her ministry denounced the delay in delivering food to soup kitchens. Then Petofilo — Minister of Human Capital by his official title — said: “I'll do this: Guys, are you hungry? Everyone comes individually, I will take your ID, name and where you come from, and you will receive individual assistance.

“I'm a homebody, a student and I don't have enough to eat.” Image: Cornerstone

The demonstrators now took the minister's words and lined up in front of her ministry. But they were not received: Presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni said on Monday that Petofilo had not invited anyone and would not receive anyone. She only “spontaneously” expressed her intention to help everyone.

At the same time, in light of new President Miley's strict austerity measures, Adorny stressed that the government would never reduce food aid – “in a country where almost half live in poverty and five million people do not eat enough every day.” (CDU/AFP)