Buenos Aires mayors to protest at Capital Human Ministry over school meal funds

La Nación reports on a planned protest by Peronist mayors from Buenos Aires province, who are set to converge on the Ministry of Capital Human to demand increased national funding for school meal programs. This action, spearheaded by the administration of Governor Axel Kicillof, signals a continued pushback against the national government's policies regarding social assistance.

The mayors, gathering under the banner of the Federación Argentina de Municipios (FAM), will present a formal note outlining their grievances. This follows a similar protest at the Ministry of Economy two weeks prior, where demands focused on infrastructure funds. The current protest specifically targets the Ministry of Capital Human and its head, Sandra Pettovello, urging her to boost federal contributions to the Servicio Alimentario Escolar (SAE) program.

This mobilization is occurring amidst escalating tensions between the provincial government of Buenos Aires and President Javier Milei's administration over social aid. The provincial Minister of Community Development, Andrés Larroque, has been a vocal critic, pointing out the significant drop in national contributions to the SAE program, which he states now covers only 14.5% of the investment, a steep decline from the historical 33%. Larroque also highlighted a substantial debt owed by the national government to the province.

From the perspective of La Nación, this protest underscores the deep political divisions and the ongoing struggle for resources between provincial and national authorities in Argentina. While international observers might see this as a typical political dispute over funding, for Argentinians, particularly those in Buenos Aires province, it directly impacts the nutritional well-being of 2.5 million students. The provincial government's increased investment in programs like Módulo Alimentario Territorial (MATE) is presented as a response to the perceived federal neglect, framing the national government's cuts as detrimental to vulnerable populations.

“

Hoy, Nación aporta apenas el 5,7% del total de la inversión en asistencia alimentaria y, en el caso del SAE [Servicio Alimentario Escolar], su participación cayó al 14,5%, muy lejos del 33% histórico. Además, mantiene una deuda desde 2024 con la Provincia que asciende a $220 mil millones