Argentina’s slum policy is a rare bright spot in the country
One mayor who oversaw the integration of a shantytown wants to become president
A visitor strolling down Arroyo, a street in Retiro, one of the poshest neighbourhoods in Buenos Aires, can buy a bag of coffee beans for $22 and order a kale pesto salad at a hip restaurant. But a few streets away is the city’s oldest slum, known as Villa 31, which sprawls across 72 hectares (178 acres) and is home to over 40,000 people. A three-bedroom flat on Arroyo will rent for around $3,000 a month; a family in Villa 31 might pay $150-250 for their lodging. Rather than fancy coffee, street vendors there hawk used trainers and bags of cereal.
This article appeared in the The Americas section of the print edition under the headline “Slum dunk”
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