A new protest against the government of Javier Milei will begin this Monday, June 1st, in Plaza de Mayo. Under the slogan “Day of fasting and prayer to awaken consciences,” Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Pérez Esquivel and the so-called Ecumenical Table for Democracy, Life, and the Common Good have called for a unique demonstration that will combine fasting, cultural activities, and religious expressions over eight consecutive days.
The initiative from the left will take place from June 2nd to 9th in front of the Casa Rosada and will have the support of social organizations, human rights groups, and the two main labor unions, CTA. Once again generating chaos and misinformation in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires.
According to the organizers, the goal is to highlight what they consider "a worsening of the social, economic, and food situation in the country." To achieve this, they have chosen an unusual format within Argentine protests: a collective fast accompanied by spaces for prayer and reflection.
From the Ecumenical Table, they indicated that the call aims to become a public and community action intended to denounce the rise of hunger, social exclusion, and the deterioration of living conditions.
However, "hunger" and extreme poverty, understood as the inability to cover the Basic Food Basket, reached a peak of 18.1% in the first half of 2024. After that period, it fell to 8.2% by the end of 2024 and reached 6.3% in the most recent official measurement, reflecting a significant drop from the months of initial inflationary impact.
In addition to the activities planned in Plaza de Mayo, the organizers announced that the initiative will be replicated in various squares across the country with the participation of religious organizations, social movements, and community leaders.
Evolution of extreme poverty and poverty (INDEC Data)
The official figures from INDEC on the percentage of people below the lines of extreme poverty (going hungry) and poverty show the following trajectory:
First half of 2024 (Crisis peak):
