Argentina supporters find solace in the Copa America victory despite the economic downturn.
"It's our best entertainment, which is why it's so important," explains a destitute mother of six, 47.
Buenos Aires: Nineteen months after their World Cup victory drew millions of Argentines into the same Buenos Aires square in a roar of collective happiness, the country's citizens celebrating their Copa América victory are in a very different place today.
Diego Cáceres, 38, described Argentina's enormous outdoor celebration on December 18, 2022, as "glorious." After Argentina defeated Colombia 1-0 in extra time to win its third consecutive international event on Sunday night, he remarked, "This is beautiful, too," of the spectators yelling and shooting off fireworks around the historic obelisk in the city.
But it's merely a reminder or the cherry on top. I want to travel back in time because of it. Argentina has endured an economic crisis for many years. However, yearly inflation now exceeds 270%. Of the 45 million people living in the nation, about 60% are impoverished.
The intense anxiety of the news—anti-government riots blazing, labor strikes paralyzing cities, President Javier Milei, a self-described "anarcho-capitalist," announcing additional spending cuts, and his criticism of feminism—has worn out Argentines. Their televisions showed ominous warnings this week, claiming that the peso would fall to new lows versus the dollar and that this would lower the value of their savings.
When Cáceres last celebrated his national team in this downtown square, he was a renter of an apartment and a cook at a number of restaurants. As of today, he stated,
What's Your Reaction?
