My wife and I have made a few trips to mercado central to buy most of the food we need so we can save money. The last trip we made was three weeks ago. My wife went again this morning and found that most of the prices have gone up by at least 80 percent over what they were three weeks ago.
Three weeks ago a kilo of bola de lomo cost 23$. Today, it cost 45$. A kilo of carne picada with no fat was 12$ and now it is 24$. 2 kilos of tomato was 5$ and now it is 8. Green peppers cost 4$ per kilo and now cost 6$ for half a kilo. A kilo of mozzarella cheese now cost 37$ when it was 23$ a few weeks ago.
I have no clue whats going on. Even the most extreme inflation estimates don't account for such a rise in prices.
A few other things caught my wife's attention. There were signs everywhere saying "Clarín Miente" which means Clarín lies (I'll point out that Clarín is the one reporting inflation). You could not buy the Clarín at the newsstand inside Mercado Central. When questioned about why, they said that it was forbidden from being sold there.
There were also a lot of the normal carnicerías and verdurías closed today. Outside of one, there was a sign saying "I want to keep working, but Moreno won't let me." Just in spanish of course. Moreno being the Secretario de Comercio Interior who has a big say (that is, if he doesn't control) the food prices. It may or may not be just a coincidence the the elections were last week and that the runoff election is in two weeks.
The people that were there selling were also saying that there is no inflation, which is odd given the rise in their prices.
Whether this is inflation or a political power play meant to influence the elections, I really don't know. I am very interested to see if there will be a rise in food prices in the city this week.
Thoughts?
Three weeks ago a kilo of bola de lomo cost 23$. Today, it cost 45$. A kilo of carne picada with no fat was 12$ and now it is 24$. 2 kilos of tomato was 5$ and now it is 8. Green peppers cost 4$ per kilo and now cost 6$ for half a kilo. A kilo of mozzarella cheese now cost 37$ when it was 23$ a few weeks ago.
I have no clue whats going on. Even the most extreme inflation estimates don't account for such a rise in prices.
A few other things caught my wife's attention. There were signs everywhere saying "Clarín Miente" which means Clarín lies (I'll point out that Clarín is the one reporting inflation). You could not buy the Clarín at the newsstand inside Mercado Central. When questioned about why, they said that it was forbidden from being sold there.
There were also a lot of the normal carnicerías and verdurías closed today. Outside of one, there was a sign saying "I want to keep working, but Moreno won't let me." Just in spanish of course. Moreno being the Secretario de Comercio Interior who has a big say (that is, if he doesn't control) the food prices. It may or may not be just a coincidence the the elections were last week and that the runoff election is in two weeks.
The people that were there selling were also saying that there is no inflation, which is odd given the rise in their prices.
Whether this is inflation or a political power play meant to influence the elections, I really don't know. I am very interested to see if there will be a rise in food prices in the city this week.
Thoughts?
