An unusual controversy has broken out over the price of one of the country’s most-popular foods, pitting one of the nation’s most famous actors clashing with the man in charge of Argentina’s economy.
The spat began when actor Ricardo Darín used the high price of empanadas to question Argentina’s economic situation. The remarks, delivered during a television programme, were immediately contradicted by Economy Minister Luis Caputo and many of President Javier Milei’s online supporters and backers.
Darín, the star of the hit Netflix show El Eternauta, questioned the usefulness of the new money-laundering programme launched by the government to revitalise consumption by using the dollars kept under the mattress, as undeclared money is popularly known.
Invited to appear on a famous Saturday night television show hosted by iconic presenter and host Mirtha Legrand, Darín responded with a laconic “I think it's fantastic” when asked about the situation in Argentina.
Poverty stands at 38 percent, consumption has fallen for the last 15 months and most retirees earn a third of the cost of a basic basket of goods.
“The truth is that I don't understand anything, I'm surprised by this talk of taking dollars out of the mattress, who are they talking about? A dozen empanadas costs 48,000 pesos [around US$42], so I don't understand what they're talking about, there are a lot of people who are having a very hard time,” Darín emphasised.
Legrand nodded in agreement, adding: “The prices are terrible, terrible, the money is not enough.”
The comment was echoed on social media, but members of Milei’s government immediately went on the attack.
“Empanadas are not worth that, Ricardito,” said Caputo, who told the actor to “stay calm.”
Caputo then argued the price of a dozen empanadas was closer to 16,000 pesos.
Since taking office in December, 2023, Milei has implemented fierce austerity measures, eliminating tens of thousands of state jobs and managing to balance Argentina’s public accounts for the first time in decades.
He has removed price controls for medicines, public services and food, while cutting pensions in real terms and limiting pay increases in the public and private sectors, pulverising purchasing power.
Thanks to these measures, the government managed to halve the annual inflation rate, which dropped from 211% percent in 2023 (when Milei devalued the peso by 50 percent) to 118 percent in 2024.
Last month, annual inflation dropped to 47 percent year-on-year.
Argentina has just agreed a new US$20-billion loan from the International Monetary Fund, a vote of confidence from the multilateral lender which in 2018 granted the nation the largest loan in its history, worth some US$45 billion, which must still be repaid.
Quizzed on a television show about the row on Monday, Darín described it as a “lot of fuss.”
“In reality, if you look closely, it's clear what I mean. Of course there are more expensive empanadas, cheaper ones, it depends on the neighbourhood you live in. But in reality, I think it's clear what I was talking about.
“Prices are high, people know that. This has nothing to do with badmouthing the government and Mr Caputo, who called me ‘Ricardito.’ It was quite derogatory for a public official.”
“He should be a bit more polite. I don't understand why he treats me badly,” he added.
Darín expressed no remorse – in fact, he underlined the importance of voicing one’s opinion.
“If you start to be afraid to say what you think, you start to keep quiet and that's not right because we are in a democracy. I respect the government, I don't disrespect it, but you have to take care of your manners,” he said.
– TIMES/AFP/NA
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