The childhood home of late Argentine football legend Diego Maradona, where he experienced extreme poverty, has been repurposed as a soup kitchen in the Buenos Aires suburb of Fiorito. Located at 523 Amazor Street, this site now provides meals and clothing assistance to locals affected by President Javier Milei's austerity policies. The neighborhood, home to about 50,000 residents in modest brick houses, features numerous murals commemorating the iconic number 10, who died in 2020 at age 60.

As a criminal negligence trial begins on Tuesday against the seven-member medical team responsible for Maradona's final care following brain surgery, his childhood community continues his legacy of compassion. Volunteers prepare chicken stew and other meals in large cauldrons in the yard, with cumbia music—Maradona's preferred genre—playing in the background, while neighbors bring containers to be filled with food.

The radical free-market reforms implemented by Milei after his election in December 2023 have led to significant economic hardship. Despite statistics showing poverty reduction primarily due to decreasing inflation, Central Bank reports indicate that family finances remain in crisis. Increased imports and plummeting consumption have resulted in over 20,000 business closures. Diego Gavilan, who collects cardboard and scrap metal, notes that "you can't make ends meet" and appreciates receiving aid from Maradona's former home, where the legend "suffered so much hunger as a child."

The facility operates without dining accommodations: volunteers cook over open fires in the yard and distribute food in bags to those waiting at the entrance. Maradona frequently referenced his humble origins in an area without running water or paved streets. Sixty-six years after his birth, hardship is still visible on the faces of those queuing for meals. Cook Maria Torres states that "people are going hungry" and believes Maradona would approve of the charitable repurposing of his childhood home.

Source: www.aljazeera.com