Argentines ask patron saint of work for jobs with elections around the corner

By DANIEL POLITI
Associated Press

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentines have lined up on a bitterly cold winter morning as part of an annual pilgrimage to a Roman Catholic shrine for the patron saint of work. They asked for jobs and prosperity as many struggle to make ends meet while struggling with one of the world’s highest inflation rates. Voters in the South American country are set to go to the polls Sunday in national primary elections that will determine the candidates that will face off in the October presidential race. But many of those in line Monday have little optimism things will change regardless of who comes out on top. Rubén Gómez hasn’t been able to find steady work since he lost his job at a slaughterhouse two years ago. “I was fine until the pandemic,” Gómez said, adding that now has to do odd jobs to survive.