¡Viva México!

The LA Times reports: Mexico City opens the 1st of 300 planned soup kitchens.

With her modest earnings as a seamstress and her grown children out of work, Esperanza Jose is like thousands of Mexicans finding it harder to make ends meet. And so she decided to take advantage of the city government's new soup kitchen, the first of 300 planned by March.

"The truth is that there are a lot of people that now don't have jobs, and so if they're offering this, we should make the most of it," said Jose, 63. "Many people are embarrassed to come; but, well, we come with dignity."

As Mexico slips into the profound economic crisis circling the globe, unemployment is rising along with food prices. Inflation is running about 8% annually, but some basic "family basket" items such as cooking oil and rice are going up about 200% a year, said Cesar Cravioto, head of the city's Institute of Social Assistance.

City officials hope to dish out 65,000 free or inexpensive meals a day at the soup kitchens, he said.

"The crisis is hitting hard, and it worries us a lot," Cravioto said, noting that the number of people who receive unemployment payouts is expected to double this year in this city of 19 million.

No word on whether the "gorditas" are being downsized or rightsized yet.