The year of meat

2025 closes with positive numbers for the Paraguayan economy. The crowning achievement came in recent days with the confirmation of the second investment grade by Standard & Poor’s. However, the robust macroeconomic indicators are felt little or not at all among the working class and the most vulnerable sectors, who this year had to tighten their belts to make ends meet due to the surge in prices of basic food items, especially meat. According to official inflation, the average prices of beef rose by over 20%, although in practice, on the street, increases of over 50% were recorded. In recent weeks, after a brief respite, meat prices have risen again. The issue even gained political relevance following the unfortunate statement by Senator Luis Pettengill, who claimed that people can buy stew for G. 10,000, which made headlines and sparked debate in the political arena. Concerned about the situation, the Government of Santiago Peña released the importation of cheaper Brazilian beef ...