In current Argentina, where inflation seems to decelerate in official reports but everyday life remains an obstacle career for the majority, an empanada can become a symbol of resistance.
On Saturday, May 24, at the Mirtha Legrand table, Ricardo Darín launched a phrase that, without proposing it, unleashed a political and media storm: “A dozen empanadas is worth 48,000 pesos”. The figure, pronounced with an indignation tone, intended to illustrate the lag between the official speeches and the palpable reality of the Argentines. And the comment did not fall in broken bag.
Burst. The Minister of Economy, Luis CaputoIt soon responded hard. In a television interview, He described Darín’s words as “stupidity” And he accused him of “becoming the national and popular.” “All good if you can buy empanadas in my liking or Don Julio, but the empanadas are not worth that, Ricardito,” the official ironized. According to Caputo, a dozen costs around 16,000 pesos.
The controversy climbed quickly. In social networks, supporters of the libertarian government joined criticism, and the president himself Javier Milei He shared some of the memes that ridiculed the actor. Darín, far from intimidating, replied: “That prices are very high is a reality. It is not debatable. You can not make your fool and look the other way.” In addition, he lamented Caputo’s offensive tone: “I don’t think it’s good for a public official to treat me stupid.”
The debate on the price of empanadas highlighted price disparity in the country. According to the consumer price index of the City of Buenos Aires, a dozen cost an average of 22,010 pesos in April, with options ranging from $ 12 thousand to $ 25,000, depending on the neighborhood and product quality. In the last year, the price of empanadas increased by 80 percent exceeding the general food inflation, which was 39.4%.
Free advertising
The chain owner My taste, Pablo Lemos, He confirmed that the dozen Gourmet can reach that value because they are large empanadas, with selected ingredients and artisanal elaboration. “They are premium empanadas, but not exclusive. There are other more accessible options,” he said. The point is that, even if they are not the average, they are real. Exist. And Darín paid them.
Beyond the gastronomic anecdote, the episode reveals a latent tension in Argentine society, the difficulty of expressing critical opinions without being the object of attacks. The Argentine Association of Actors expressed its solidarity with Darín and repudiated the aggressions against him, warning about a climate of intolerance that seeks to silence dissident voices.
In this context, the protagonist of “the secret of his eyes” emerges as a figure that, without proposing it, channels the discomfort of many Argentines. His commentary on empanadas was a criticism of the government, an observation about the economic reality that affects millions. But in times where political sensitivity is in the leather, even an empanada can become an act of resistance. The controversy also generated a wave of memes on social networks, where Darín’s “gold” empanadas was ironic and compared with fiction characters. Far from discouraging, the actor took the teasing and reiterated his commitment to the truth: “You don’t have to fogure things that do not help union.”
It is worth remembering that in January 2013, the actor unleashed a political storm when questioning, in an interview with the Brando Magazinethe Kirchner fortune. “I would like someone to explain to me the issue of their heritage growth. How do you not fall as shame? How can it be?” He questioned. And the response of Cristina Fernández It was not long in coming. Through a letter published on Facebook, the then President defended the legality of her assets and reminded the actor the judicial case of 1991 for smuggling of a truck, from which the actor in the end had been dismissed.
This crossing evidenced the tension between the ruling and figures of the Argentine culture and show that echoed the actor’s words to show his disagreement. News captured the moment with its cover entitled “The decline of story K”where Darín appeared in an image that evoked a crucis via, symbolizing the persecution of dissident voices.
In short, the episode of empanadas reveals an Argentine where economics and politics are intertwined in every aspect of everyday life, and where freedom of expression remains a value that must be defended, even when it comes to the price of an empanada.
