Olga Beatriz Gonzalez, 89, poses for a portrait in her kitchen, where she prepares food for people in need, at her home in Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 1, 2025. Gonzalez is retired, hustling to make ends meet and runs a soup kitchen from her home to help others struggling. The Argentine pension system is stretched beyond breaking point, with nowhere near enough income to pay out what many had expected after years of hard work. "We are people who have done our duty, that is, we are doing our bit and reaching the last part," said Gonzalez. "And we don't want to arrive in so much need." REUTERS/Tomas Cuesta SEARCH "CUESTA ARGENTINA PENSIONERS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Jorge, 72, hands out flyers with his phone number to promote his private tutoring lessons for university students in Buenos Aires, Argentina, April 12, 2024. After a lifetime working in the oil industry, he now teaches at a McDonald's to make ends meet as his pension is not enough. Jorge voted for President Javier Milei but says he feels disappointed because the economic reforms that were supposed to target the political elite, or "the caste", ended up hurting ordinary workers instead. "It seems the ones paying the price are retirees, bus riders, and workers like me," he says. REUTERS/Tomas Cuesta SEARCH "CUESTA ARGENTINA PENSIONERS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.
Olga Beatriz Gonzalez, 89, poses for a portrait outside her home, where she gives food to people in need, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 1, 2025. Gonzalez is retired, hustling to make ends meet and runs a soup kitchen from her home to help others struggling. The Argentine pension system is stretched beyond breaking point, with nowhere near enough income to pay out what many had expected after years of hard work. "We are people who have done our duty, that is, we are doing our bit and reaching the last part," said Gonzalez. "And we don't want to arrive in so much need." REUTERS/Tomas Cuesta SEARCH "CUESTA ARGENTINA PENSIONERS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.
Olga Beatriz Gonzalez, 89, holds hands with a friend, at her home where she serves food to people in need, Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 16, 2025. Gonzalez is retired, hustling to make ends meet and runs a soup kitchen from her home to help others struggling. The Argentine pension system is stretched beyond breaking point, with nowhere near enough income to pay out what many had expected after years of hard work. "We are people who have done our duty, that is, we are doing our bit and reaching the last part," said Gonzalez. "And we don't want to arrive in so much need." REUTERS/Tomas Cuesta SEARCH "CUESTA ARGENTINA PENSIONERS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Jorge, 72, who gives private tutoring lessons at a McDonald's to make ends meet, poses for a portrait at a park in Buenos Aires, Argentina, April 12, 2024. After a lifetime working in the oil industry, he now teaches at a McDonald's to make ends meet, as his pension is not enough. Jorge voted for President Javier Milei but says he feels disappointed because the economic reforms that were supposed to target the political elite, or "the caste," ended up hurting ordinary workers instead. "It seems the ones paying the price are retirees, bus riders, and workers like me," he says. REUTERS/Tomas Cuesta SEARCH "CUESTA ARGENTINA PENSIONERS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.
Olga Beatriz Gonzalez, 89, and Maria Rosa Ojeda walk together during one of the weekly protests demanding higher pensions for retirees outside the National Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 15, 2025. Gonzalez is retired, hustling to make ends meet and runs a soup kitchen from her home to help others struggling. The Argentine pension system is stretched beyond breaking point, with nowhere near enough income to pay out what many had expected after years of hard work. "We are people who have done our duty, that is, we are doing our bit and reaching the last part," said Gonzalez. "And we don't want to arrive in so much need." REUTERS/Tomas Cuesta SEARCH "CUESTA ARGENTINA PENSIONERS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Olga Beatriz Gonzalez, 89, holds her head as she watches an interview of Argentina's President Javier Milei, at her home where she serves food to people in need, Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 16, 2025. Gonzalez is retired, hustling to make ends meet and runs a soup kitchen from her home to help others struggling. The Argentine pension system is stretched beyond breaking point, with nowhere near enough income to pay out what many had expected after years of hard work. "We are people who have done our duty, that is, we are doing our bit and reaching the last part," said Gonzalez. "And we don't want to arrive in so much need." REUTERS/Tomas Cuesta SEARCH "CUESTA ARGENTINA PENSIONERS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.
Luis Relinque, 75, count bills as he buys alfajores and other sweets to resell from his home to make ends meet, as his pension is not enough, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, February 14, 2025. Relinque receives the minimum monthly pension, which in October was just over 396,000 pesos, or about $266, that he says is not enough to make ends meet. "I don't go hungry, but I go without," he said, sitting alongside his small dog. Treats he used to give his granddaughter, such as an ice cream or a visit to the theatre, he can no longer afford. He used to gather with friends on Fridays to play cards and enjoy a meal, but that has also stopped. REUTERS/Tomas Cuesta SEARCH "CUESTA ARGENTINA PENSIONERS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.
A man is detained during a demonstration against Argentina's President Javier Milei's adjustment policies, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, February 26, 2025. In January, Milei's government announced Argentina's first budget surplus in 14 years. But this has come at a cost. Energy and transportation subsidies have been slashed, while retirees' purchasing power has fallen by 23% since Milei took office, according to economist Enrique Dentice. "Today, the priority of pensioners is covering their groceries and not much else," Dentice said. "It's not clear how that will get better. The government stance is 'wait and see,' but time is passing and pensioners cannot wait." REUTERS/Tomas Cuesta SEARCH "CUESTA ARGENTINA PENSIONERS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.
Olga Beatriz Gonzalez, 89, and Maria Rosa Ojeda rest at a bus stop after taking part in a weekly protest demanding higher pensions for retirees outside the National Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 15, 2025. Gonzalez is retired, hustling to make ends meet and runs a soup kitchen from her home to help others struggling. The Argentine pension system is stretched beyond breaking point, with nowhere near enough income to pay out what many had expected after years of hard work. "We are people who have done our duty, that is, we are doing our bit and reaching the last part," said Gonzalez. "And we don't want to arrive in so much need." REUTERS/Tomas Cuesta SEARCH "CUESTA ARGENTINA PENSIONERS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.
Luis Relinque, 75, sits as he looks at the box of alfajores and other sweets he resells to make ends meet, as his pension is not enough, outside his home in Buenos Aires, Argentina, February 14, 2025. Relinque receives the minimum monthly pension - which in October was just over 396,000 pesos, or about $266 - that he says is not enough to make ends meet. "I don't go hungry, but I go without," he said, sitting alongside his small dog. Treats he used to give his granddaughter, such as an ice cream or a visit to the theatre, he can no longer afford. He used to gather with friends on Fridays to play cards and enjoy a meal, but that has also stopped. REUTERS/Tomas Cuesta SEARCH "CUESTA ARGENTINA PENSIONERS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Luis Relinque, 75, sells store-bought alfajores to a customer to make ends meet, as his pension is not enough, outside his home in Buenos Aires, Argentina, February 14, 2025. Relinque receives the minimum monthly pension, which in October was just over 396,000 pesos, or about $266, that he says is not enough to make ends meet. "I don't go hungry, but I go without," he said, sitting alongside his small dog. Treats he used to give his granddaughter, such as an ice cream or a visit to the theatre, he can no longer afford. He used to gather with friends on Fridays to play cards and enjoy a meal, but that has also stopped. REUTERS/Tomas Cuesta SEARCH "CUESTA ARGENTINA PENSIONERS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.
Olga Beatriz Gonzalez, 89, shows a photo of herself when she was younger breastfeeding her son, at her home, where she serves food to people in need, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 16, 2025. Gonzalez is retired, hustling to make ends meet and runs a soup kitchen from her home to help others struggling. The Argentine pension system is stretched beyond breaking point, with nowhere near enough income to pay out what many had expected after years of hard work. "We are people who have done our duty, that is, we are doing our bit and reaching the last part," said Gonzalez. "And we don't want to arrive in so much need." REUTERS/Tomas Cuesta SEARCH "CUESTA ARGENTINA PENSIONERS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.
Olga Beatriz Gonzalez, 89, and Maria Rosa Ojeda hug during one of the weekly protests demanding higher pensions for retirees outside the National Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 15, 2025. Gonzalez is retired, hustling to make ends meet and runs a soup kitchen from her home to help others struggling. The Argentine pension system is stretched beyond breaking point, with nowhere near enough income to pay out what many had expected after years of hard work. "We are people who have done our duty, that is, we are doing our bit and reaching the last part," said Gonzalez. "And we don't want to arrive in so much need." REUTERS/Tomas Cuesta SEARCH "CUESTA ARGENTINA PENSIONERS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
A retiree holds a sign reading 'Stop It Milei' as she waits to cross the street during a weekly protest by retirees demanding better pensions, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, February 12, 2025. REUTERS/Tomas Cuesta SEARCH "CUESTA ARGENTINA PENSIONERS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.
Jorge, 72, hands out a flyer with his phone number to promote his private tutoring lessons for university students in Buenos Aires, Argentina, April 12, 2024. After a lifetime working in the oil industry, he now teaches at a McDonald's to make ends meet, as his pension is not enough. Jorge voted for President Javier Milei but says he feels disappointed because the economic reforms that were supposed to target the political elite, or "the caste," ended up hurting ordinary workers instead. "It seems the ones paying the price are retirees, bus riders, and workers like me," he says. REUTERS/Tomas Cuesta SEARCH "CUESTA ARGENTINA PENSIONERS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.
Olga Beatriz Gonzalez, 89, holds a sign in Spanish that reads 'No one is saved alone,' as she takes part in the weekly protests demanding higher pensions for retirees outside the National Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 7, 2025. Gonzalez is retired, hustling to make ends meet and runs a soup kitchen from her home to help others struggling. The Argentine pension system is stretched beyond breaking point, with nowhere near enough income to pay out what many had expected after years of hard work. "We are people who have done our duty, that is, we are doing our bit and reaching the last part," said Gonzalez. "And we don't want to arrive in so much need." REUTERS/Tomas Cuesta SEARCH "CUESTA ARGENTINA PENSIONERS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

By Tomas Cuesta

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) -Every Wednesday, 89-year-old Olga Beatriz Gonzalez eats a simple breakfast, picks up donations of bread and vegetables for the soup kitchen she runs from her home in the Buenos Aires suburbs, then starts making protest signs for the weekly demonstration she will attend in the city center.

She is retired but not resting. Along with many older Argentines, she hustles to make ends meet, to help others struggling, and to push for life to improve.

There is little sign, though, of positive news on the horizon for Gonzalez or her friends. The Argentine pension system is stretched beyond breaking point, with nowhere near enough income to pay out what many had expected after years of hard work.

The government of President Javier Milei - whose party will try to win more congressional seats on Sunday - says the only solution is tight fiscal adjustment to stimulate investment and long-term growth. There is no more money, in other words, not in the short term.

"We are people who have done our duty, that is, we are doing our bit and reaching the last part," said Gonzalez. "And we don't want to arrive in so much need."

"It really upsets me when people tell me 'I can't buy medicines ... because if I buy medicines I won't be able to pay the rent and will be out on the street.' What does this person do if they don't have a soup kitchen? There are many who have had their electricity cut ... I give them pasta and they have no means of cooking it."

In January, Milei's government announced Argentina's first budget surplus in 14 years. But it has come at a cost. Energy and transport subsidies have been slashed, while the purchasing power of retired people has fallen 23% since Milei took power, said economist Enrique Dentice.

"Today the priority of pensioners is covering their groceries and not much else," Dentice said. "It's not clear how that will get better. The government stance is 'wait and see,' but time is passing and pensioners cannot wait."

PROTESTING OUTSIDE CONGRESS

In front of the neoclassical National Congress building in downtown Buenos Aires, protesters - retirees and their supporters - face down lines of police in riot helmets every Wednesday, waving sky-blue and white Argentine flags and signs saying 'No one is saved alone' or 'The next old person will be you'.

"I tell the other retired people there's no shame in asking for help, but what they should do to get us out of this mess is join the demonstrations. Don't stay behind a TV," said Gonzalez. She likes to evoke her heroine, Evita Peron, Argentina's 1950s-era first lady who remains beloved by many of the country's poor.

Milei government representatives did not reply to requests for comment for this story. In May, presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni said: "We understand ... what has happened to retirees over the last 20, 30, 40 years, and we understand the solution is not magic, but a solution based on the real economy."

He said that for pensions to improve, salaries and contributions from workers must increase.

"That can only be achieved under one condition, which is investment and growth. There is no other way, because resources are finite," Adorni said.

Not all older Argentines are opposed to government policies. Some have built up savings in dollars over the years - billions have been squirreled away under mattresses and in safes. Some think Milei, in power since December 2023, should be given more time.

"In no way do we want a return to the previous government," said 75-year-old retired teacher Margarita Ruiz. Milei's plan was "the only way of saving our economy," she said.

Luis Relinque, also 75, says he does not really support any political party, but he joins the Wednesday protests. Like many others at the demonstrations, he receives the minimum monthly pension - which in October was just over 396,000 pesos, or about $266 - that he says is not enough to make ends meet.

He buys alfajores - a traditional Argentine cookie - in bulk then sells them from a box with a handwritten sign outside his house or to hospital visitors on Sundays. That earns him enough to buy groceries on Mondays.

"I don't go hungry, but I go without," he said, sitting alongside his small dog. Treats he used to give his granddaughter such as an ice cream or a visit to the theater he can no longer afford. He used to gather with friends on Fridays to play cards and enjoy a meal, but that has also stopped.

"I haven't seen my friends in five or six months. Previously in the club we ate a barbecue, a stew, it was really nice," lamented Relinque.

"Now it's all gone."

(Reporting and photography by Tomas Cuesta; Additional reporting by Lucila Sigal and Eliana Raszewski; Writing by Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Daniel Wallis)