Poverty in Argentina

[antipodean]

Con el nuevo salto de la pobreza, la Argentina volvió a ocupar uno de los peores lugares de la región para las personas más vulnerables

Aunque la pandemia aumentó la precariedad social en toda América Latina, el país partió de una base más endeble que varios de sus vecinos como producto de la crisis de los últimos años y, en particular, de la alta inflación

www.infobae.com

Some rather sobering statistics about poverty in Argentina in comparison to the rest of South America have emerged.
Here in the bubble of CABA it feels we could not be further removed from countries like Paraguay, Peru or Bolivia. But the reality is that we are now living in a country with more poverty than any other country in South America except for Venezuela and Bolivia (and only by a few % points) Despite CABA having 20% of its residents living in Poverty. This is really something to think about.

Traditionally Argentina has seen spikes followed by recoveries in terms of poverty by a large segment of the population who are extremely vulnerable.
Will the third time also work a charm? Or we have now found ourselves in a situation where we are even weaker than before compared to 89 and 01 with a much more complicated path to recovery and more barriers to investment that not even an Argentine miracle move can solve.
In a context of capital flight, divestment, brain-drain, reduced tax revenues and taxable base, difficulties in borrowing, difficulties in repaying, an expensive public health crisis how can Argentina possibly fund its way out of a long term poverty trap?

In the immediate term what can the expat community be doing to help those in a situation of desperation? Any reputable food bank programs for example?

 

[Alpinista]

My guess is that this crisis will lead to poverty even higher than in 2002 (i.e. > 60%). Shocking especially that the poverty rate for children is already at 56% and surely also to rise drastically.

Food banks and stuff like that is certainly a good thing in the short term. But what really would help are structural reforms that ensure economic growth in the future. But I doubt that these very classes will come to this conclusion. I fear they will stick with those populists that promise social benefits that the state only can pay via the printing machine (i.e. through inflation).

 

[antipodean]

Servir un plato más: la otra cara del coronavirus y los más necesitados

Un grupo de amigos planearon en plena cuarentena un nuevo método para poder ayudar a las personas que no tienen que comer, pero siempre respetando los protocolos impuestos por el aislamiento social, preventivo y obligatorio

www.baenegocios.com

Have seen these pop up in my neighbourhood and will make an effort to prepare a little extra.

Agree - hopefully one day the people most affected wake up and realise that popularism feeds off of poverty to serve the interests of only a few.
I was/ am genuinely surprised to see such low poverty rates in "neolib" countries like Peru, Colombia and Chile by comparison but still don't think I could say if I would rather be poor in Argentina or one of those countries which is either a paradox - or I am being totally blind to another reality that is not what I imagine it to be.

 

[UK Man]

There will always be 'poverty'....they even have it in the UK.

 

[Alpinista]

There will always be 'poverty'....they even have it in the UK.

The question is how much poverty is acceptable. If you have let's say 10% poverty in a country, then it is also not so much a problem for the society to stem it. If you get to 60%, then it is obviously much harder. Especially if the affluent classes are fleeing the country. Another point is also: Argentina didn't really know for decades real poverty.

 

[Renzi]

There will always be 'poverty'....they even have it in the UK.

Plenty on this board advocate Thatcherism as an antidote to Personism in Argentina.

The data in the article is from late 2019 and early 2020, which would effectively make Macri largely responsible for this unfortunate trend.

 

[Alpinista]

Plenty on this board advocate Thatcherism as an antidote to Personism in Argentina.

The data in the article is from late 2019 and early 2020, which would effectively make Macri largely responsible for this unfortunate trend.

Don't worry, Argentina will stick with Peron! It is a complete success story until now. It was the dominant political force in the post war era and since 1990 they were more or less uninterrupted in power and things indeed were going very well. And then Macri came along and ruined it all. But don't underestimate the Argentinian voters: they are very smart and surely won't repeat the same mistake again.

 

[UK Man]

Plenty on this board advocate Thatcherism as an antidote to Personism in Argentina.

The data in the article is from late 2019 and early 2020, which would effectively make Macri largely responsible for this unfortunate trend.

Yes I remember an old climbing buddy of mine back in Glasgow blaming Thatcher for him being on the poverty line. Didn't seem to stop him buying a top of the range Nikon SLR camera though.

 

[antipodean]

Yes I remember an old climbing buddy of mine back in Glasgow blaming Thatcher for him being on the poverty line. Didn't seem to stop him buying a top of the range Nikon SLR camera though.

So imagine 50% poverty in the UK. That Nikon would not exist, nor would there be an NHS, social welfare, quality state education as were around then or are around today etc.

At poverty levels like this you start having "third world problems" rather than "first world problems" especially when the become lasting and structural. What are these problems? With little tax revenue there is little investment in infrastructure or social services and the state falls into near complete disrepair. With little employment the social safety net evaporates. With widespread hunger and impunity there is extreme insecurity and corruption. Diseases with "simple" yet expensive preventions re-emerge to claim many lives. As people grow restless, the state turns to oppression and violence to maintain power and some semblance of control. And suddenly a country stops being such a "good" place to live for rich and poor alike.

 

[Redpossum]

Plenty on this board advocate Thatcherism as an antidote to Personism in Argentina.

The data in the article is from late 2019 and early 2020, which would effectively make Macri largely responsible for this unfortunate trend.

This, exactly. Macri is entirely to blame.