“Children, are you hungry? Come one by one. I will record their identities, their names, and where they come from, and each will receive help,” he stated. Argentina, Sandra Pettovello. When some challenged him for almost abandoning 50,000 soup kitchens and picnic sites, the idea spread across the country. Javier Milei’s far-right government branded social justice an aberration and urged an end to the notion that the state must respond where there is need. Yet hunger remains a serious problem in this South American nation: about 10 million people are affected, and close to 60% of minors are touched. The minister’s suggestion that starving people should visit his office “one by one” did not align with today’s needs. If those in food emergencies followed his advice, it could produce lines stretching for miles, according to estimates from sociologist Alex Roig, former head of the National Institute of Associationism and Social Economy (INAES).
What began as Pettovello’s suggestion sparked a visible protest in brutal heat: the line extended for more than two kilometers. A queue stretched from Constitución train station to the ministry he heads. Organizers labeled it “the line against hunger.” Community leaders invited anyone who used the dining rooms and local food networks to listen, and they demanded accountability. Celeste Ortiz, secretary for community care at the Union of Popular Economy Workers (UTEP), said, “We are here in person and want an answer.”
Minister’s rejection
The minister, a former television producer with no formal experience in social services and little visible sensitivity to those in need, remained in his post. “I did not quote anyone. When I saw people at the ministry’s door the other day, I went down to help because of a special situation. But this time I won’t go with them because I did not invite them. Leaders use people and keep them waiting under the sun.”
The response from officials was hardly unexpected. “Public food policy under this government is inadequate. They do not know how to manage the situation or what policy to implement. We call for a formal declaration of a food emergency act.” Juan Grabois, leader of the Movement of Excluded Workers (MTE), announced a legal complaint against Pettovello for failing to guarantee food for those in extreme poverty and for neglecting his ministerial duties. Grabois emphasized that in Argentina, the privileged receive better treatment from the political elite than the country’s poor children do from the state.
Empty pockets
The Milei era brought a marked currency devaluation, sparking a sharp rise in prices. Inflation in December stood at 25 percent, with a similar projection for the following month. The Mariano Moreno Center for Popular Sovereignty Studies notes that basic staples surged: vinegar up 64.2 percent, oil up 45 percent, flour up 43.5 percent, and milk up 41.4 percent. Retail sales contracted by 28.5 percent in January, according to the Argentine Confederation of Medium-sized Enterprises (CAME). Food and beverages fared worse, dropping 37.1 percent. Consumers tightened their belts, prioritizing essential purchases and income preservation.
The squeeze reached the middle class, with about 45 percent living in poverty. Some joined demonstrations at the Ministry of Human Capital, while others attended a different kind of protest, returning home with little more than documents in their pockets.
Catholic Church’s response
“Food should not be an adjustable variable,” said the Episcopal Conference, calling for relief that reaches those in need without delay. Social movements have argued that Government programs fail to deliver sustained support. They note that while the state has occasionally expanded public kitchens in response to emergencies, public funds and food tend to lag behind. Over the past decade, these movements have served as both a shelter for anger and as administrators of a public food policy supported by Milei’s administration, aside from the Alimentar Card, a currency-driven program providing benefits for minors up to age 14.
Pettovello’s hesitation to fund social movements has an ideological dimension. Days after a presidential audience, Pope Francis met privately with Church leaders. Pettovello later signed an agreement with the Christian Alliance of Evangelical Churches of the Argentine Republic (Aciera) to supply food to about 36,150 people at 723 distribution points. Pentecostal congregations have positioned themselves as a conduit between the State and those in need, who have long been part of a spectrum of movements linked to Peronist or left-leaning groups—often acting out of survival or identity concerns. Pettovello also signed a deal with the Collaborative Foundation for Child Nutrition (CONIN), led by pediatrician Abel Albino, known for controversial statements. A related remark attributed to Albino has circulated, reflecting the heated ideological climate around social welfare.