A string of store and supermarket looting incidents in various parts of Argentina has resulted in numerous arrests, raising concerns about increasing volatility in the country. Inflation in Argentina has surpassed 100%, and with general elections scheduled for October, tensions are high.
The looting has occurred in locations such as the southern Patagonian city of Bariloche, the wine region of Mendoza, and the capital city of Buenos Aires. Witnesses, state TV, and officials have reported that small groups of individuals have been breaking into stores and stealing food and other items. Various videos and photos have shown stores being broken into and ransacked, with empty shelves, attempts to force entry into supermarkets, and even small fires. Police have been deployed to protect the stores.
“We have been witnessing this kind of behavior for a few days now,” said Minister of Security Anibal Fernandez on Wednesday, adding that he believes the looting is coordinated. He stated, “There seems to be an intention to generate conflict, and we have been trying to prevent it. These incidents are not spontaneous and are not coincidental.”
Argentina, a significant global exporter of grains, is currently grappling with an annual inflation rate of 113%. This has exacerbated the cost-of-living crisis in the country. Additionally, a recent sharp devaluation of the peso has further increased consumer prices. J.P. Morgan predicts that inflation will reach 190% by the end of the year.
The high inflation rate has added fuel to the fire of the three-way presidential election race in Argentina. The current front-runner is radical libertarian candidate Javier Milei, who won the August primary against conservative Patricia Bullrich and ruling party economy chief Sergio Massa.
Milei, who has advocated for dollarizing the economy and eventually eliminating the central bank, has gained support from angry voters who are fed up with inflation and worsening living conditions. Approximately four out of ten people in Argentina currently live in poverty. However, Milei clarified on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) that he does not endorse the violence associated with the looting incidents. He stated, “It is tragic to see the same images of looting that we witnessed 20 years ago in 2001. Poverty and looting are two sides of the same coin.”
Presidential spokeswoman Gabriela Cerruti accused Milei of promoting the attacks in order to “destabilize” the country. Bullrich, the candidate for the main conservative opposition coalition and a former security minister, condemned the looting incidents and emphasized the need for law and order. She stated, “Argentina is living in disorder, and disorder seems to be the norm. There is no justification for these attacks on private property, nor for the government’s inaction. We need order, and that’s it.”
(Reporting by Nicolas Miculin, Maximilian Heath, and Carlos Barria; Writing by Adam Jourdan; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
