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Milei Government Denounces DW Donkey-Meat Story as an Image-Damaging Operation

The presidency says a foreign report miscast a one-off sale as proof Argentines cannot afford beef.

Overview

  • The Office of Official Response, which posted Tuesday, accused DW Español of inflating a marginal case to hurt Argentina’s image.
  • DW reported a Chubut butcher sold 500 kilos of donkey meat in two days under a provisional provincial permit and linked demand to beef averaging AR$18,500 per kilo versus AR$7,500 for donkey, with beef up nearly 70% year over year.
  • The government countered that meat consumption remains strong, citing 2025 per‑capita total meat at 116.4 kg and a 15.7% rise in pork production in the first quarter of 2026.
  • The flap widened beyond Argentina as Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, said such a situation should not occur in his country, while Javier Milei and former president Alberto Fernández traded barbs on X over meat prices.
  • Under national rules, selling meat from non‑traditional species requires Senasa health authorization and a species‑specific RUCA slaughterhouse registration, so a provincial provisional permit can allow a one‑off sale but not broad commercialization.